We're Going on a Road Trip
by ctoan
Summary: [Complete]Ryan and Kirsten go for a drive
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - I have no idea the relative merits of CCA over USC. I own not one hair on the characters' heads.

* * *

Ryan was sitting at the table, eating his breakfast. Seth stumbled into the kitchen, still wearing his robe. He sat down opposite Ryan, looking at him bleary-eyed. "Hey man, did Grandpa give you the days off?"  
  
"No," he answered, taking another bite of his cereal. Ryan didn't bother qualifying his answer with the fact that he hadn't actually asked Caleb for the time.  
  
Seth opened his eyes a little wider and looked at Ryan. "You didn't ask him." It was more of a statement than a question.  
  
"What's the point, Seth?"  
  
"The point, my friend, is a road trip. You and me, some quality Seth-Ryan time before we have to start classes next month."  
  
"We're going to be living together in an apartment, attending USC together. Which is why a trip to San Francisco to check out the College of the Arts campus is pointless. I'm not going."  
  
"You applied for a reason, Ryan. You must have wanted to go there at least a little."  
  
"It was your mom's idea. I knew I wouldn't get in and I was right."  
  
"No, you got wait-listed and now there's a spot open." Seth switched tactics. "Come on, man," he whined. "I'm bored. I've been hanging around Newport all summer. I need to get away!"  
  
"If you had a job instead of sitting around doing nothing, you wouldn't be so bored," Ryan told him pointedly.  
  
Seth was indignant. "I have a job."  
  
Ryan shook his head. "Teaching Chester and his sister to sail a couple of times a week isn't a job."  
  
Kirsten breezed into the kitchen in a business suit. She went straight for the coffee and poured herself a large mug full. "Ryan, are you almost ready to leave?"  
  
Ryan swallowed the rest of his orange juice and stood up to clear his dishes. "Yeah, I just need to grab my bag from the pool house."  
  
"Mom, do you think Ryan could get a few days off next week?" Seth asked. Ryan shot daggers at Seth.  
  
"That's really up to Grandpa, Seth. Ryan's in his division. But I don't see it being a problem." She looked over at Ryan. "You just have to ask, Ryan."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I just haven't decided if I need the time or not."  
  
Kirsten's interest was piqued. "Why? What do you two have planned?"  
  
Ryan shot a warning look to Seth, asking him not to say anything. Seth either didn't understand the look, or chose to ignore it. "Ryan got a letter from the California College of Arts in San Francisco. They have a spot for him if he wants to go."  
  
Ryan quickly replied, "Which I don't. I'm going to USC. So there's no point in going to San Francisco."  
  
"CCA?" Kirsten asked. "Oh, Ryan, you have to at least go look. They have such a great architecture program, and the classes are small. I think you'd do well at a small college."  
  
Ryan looked defeated. "I know. That's how you convinced me to apply in the first place. But USC has a good architecture program too." Ryan looked at Seth and Kirsten's hopeful eyes. Seth's were hopeful because he wanted a road trip; Kirsten's were hopeful because she really liked the idea of CCA. "All right. We'll go look. I'll talk to Caleb today."  
  
Seth started doing a happy dance and singing, "We're going on a road trip; we're going on a road trip."  
  
Ryan shook his head at Seth. "We won't be if you keep acting like that." Then he added, almost to himself, "I can't believe I just agreed to spend over six hours with you in a car."

* * *

Ryan knocked on the doorjamb of Caleb's open office door. "Mr Nichol, can I talk with you?"  
  
Caleb looked up and smiled. "Ryan, come in. And I told you, call me Caleb. You're practically my grandson."  
  
Ryan walked into the office. "I know, and I do at the house, but everyone else here calls you Mr Nichol, and I don't want them to think I get preferential treatment." He looked abashed as he sat down opposite Caleb. "It's bad enough they know how I got the job in the first place."  
  
Caleb smiled to himself. He wished he had gotten to know the boy sooner. The more Ryan said, which wasn't much, the more impressed Caleb became. And he had proven to be a fast learner and a hard worker. Caleb never saw Ryan slacking off with the other interns; he always had his head down, getting things done. Even when the thing that needed to be done was just getting coffee. "What can I do for you, Ryan?"  
  
"I was wondering if I could get a couple of days off next week."  
  
"I thought you just said you didn't want preferential treatment," Caleb said gruffly, though he was actually teasing.  
  
Ryan started to stand up. "No, you're right. Forget it. Never mind."  
  
Caleb backed off. "Ryan, sit down. Tell me why you need the time."  
  
"Seth wants to go to San Francisco."  
  
"You can go on the weekend and you can tell Seth that most people have jobs and can't take off anytime they please."  
  
"I did tell him that," Ryan muttered. A little louder he added, "We have to go during the week to check out a college campus."  
  
"I thought you boys were both going to USC."  
  
"We are. But California College of the Arts sent a letter, offering me a place there if I want it. Which I don't. But Seth wants a road trip and Kirsten thinks I should at least look."  
  
"CCA? They have a great architecture school."  
  
"So does USC. I already had this conversation with Kirsten." Ryan was starting to wonder why everyone thought he should go to San Francisco.  
  
"Well, it won't hurt to go up and look around. When would you be going?"  
  
Ryan had to think about it. He hadn't planned on going so he hadn't thought this far ahead. "The letter said the advisor would be available Tuesday to meet, so I'd need Monday to drive up and Wednesday to drive back?"  
  
Caleb was surprised. "You don't want any extra time there? I'll give you Thursday too, in case you decide to stay an extra day, or need a day to recover from the trip."  
  
Ryan started to protest, but Caleb held up his hand to stop him. Ryan acquiesced. "OK. But if I'm back and want to come in, I can?"  
  
Caleb had to admire the boy's work ethic. "Fine. But I don't want you here if you look like you're falling asleep."  
  
Ryan nodded and stood up to leave. As he was walking away, Caleb said, "I hear you're helping Mike on the Stanfield project."  
  
Ryan turned back toward Caleb, who continued, "He said you've been a big help and have a good eye."  
  
"Thanks," Ryan replied. Then he turned and left.  
  
Caleb almost told him to get back to work and stop slacking off, but stopped himself just in time. He figured the boy would take him seriously and work through lunch to make up for the time he had just spent.

* * *

Kirsten met Caleb over lunch for their weekly meeting. After the business was dispensed with and they got down to the actual eating, Caleb said, "Ryan came by my office today. He got in to CCA?"  
  
"He was wait-listed in the spring. They sent him an acceptance letter a few days ago."  
  
"His portfolio must be impressive."  
  
"I wouldn't know. He didn't show it to us. Seth might have seen some of it, though. His art teacher was impressed, and she showed us some of his work from school but I don't know what he included from that." Kirsten liked that her father was finally taking an interest in Ryan. She knew that if he spent time with Ryan, he would win Caleb over. "So did you let him go?"  
  
"Of course. You know what Seth wants, Seth gets."  
  
"Dad, that's not fair."  
  
"I'm joking, Kiki. It's a great opportunity and I don't want anyone claiming I was holding him back. CCA's the top architecture school in California. Though he doesn't seem excited about it."  
  
"I know. I'm hoping once he goes up and sees the campus and the facilities that he'll be won over."  
  
"Do you really want him to move that far away?"  
  
"No, Dad. If it were up to me, he and Seth would both live at home forever and never leave us. But that's not entirely realistic. I'm comforted by the knowledge that he'll come back. I wasn't always sure, but I am now."  
  
"Mike wasn't happy to hear he was losing Ryan for a few days. He's got Ryan helping him on the Stanfield project and doing more than he probably should. He's got a report due next week that he was hoping Ryan could help with. I told him to use one of the other interns – that went over like a lead balloon."  
  
Kirsten was pleased. Mike was well known for his perfectionism and his tight control over his projects. She was proud that Ryan was fitting in so well, especially since it's what he wanted to do as a career.

* * *

Mike walked up to Ryan, who was working at his desk. "What are you doing to me, kid? The report is due next week and you're going to leave me high and dry?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Mike. Something came up unexpectedly and I have to do it. But I'll get as much done as I can before I go?"  
  
"The data should be in later today. If you can get the analysis run before you leave tomorrow, that'd be great."  
  
"I promise I'll get it done before I go away. How's that?"  
  
"You're a lifesaver." Mike smiled at him. "CCA, huh? That's pretty impressive."  
  
Ryan blushed. He hated having people know stuff about him, knowing that people were talking about him. "Yeah, it's..." he shrugged. "I'm not planning on going. Everyone wants me to check it out, but I'm pretty settled on USC. It's a good school too, you know." Ryan knew Mike had graduated from USC and wasn't going to disparage his alma mater.  
  
"You're right. It is. You could do worse. But you're still going to leave me alone with this report?"  
  
"I'll run the analysis for you before I go." Ryan smirked at Mike, "You can always get Robert to help you out."  
  
Mike had no use for Robert, and Ryan knew it. "Thanks but no thanks. But if you can give the analysis to Lisa when you finish, I'll probably pull her in to help out. And that'll leave you running coffee again when you get back. That'll teach you," Mike laughed as he walked away.  
  
Ryan watched Mike walk away. He really hated leaving him when the report was due, but Mike didn't seem genuinely upset by it. He looked around for something to do until the data arrived.

* * *

Ryan and Kirsten had just arrived home from work and were getting the take- out ready with Seth when Sandy arrived home.  
  
"Hello, family!" he said enthusiastically.  
  
"Yeah, hey Dad," Seth said absently as he sat down at the table. "So Ryan, are we all set to go next week?"  
  
Sandy took off his jacket and sat down too. "Go where?" he asked Seth.  
  
"San Francisco," Seth told him.  
  
"Oh," replied Sandy as though it made perfect sense to him.  
  
"Yeah," Ryan said as he sat down, "Caleb said it was no problem. I have until Wednesday or Thursday."  
  
Sandy had processed the first bit of information and was confused again. "Why are you going to San Francisco?"  
  
"To tour the CCA campus, Dad," Seth told him.  
  
"Oh," Sandy replied again.  
  
"So when are we leaving?" Seth wondered. "I was thinking Saturday..."  
  
Ryan shook his head. "I'm not going for that long, Seth. I thought we'd go up Monday and come back Wednesday."  
  
"Aren't we going to spend some time there?" Seth whined. "That just gives us time for your meeting."  
  
"I thought the road trip part was the point of the trip."  
  
Sandy broke in again, clearly confused. "Why are you touring the CCA campus?"  
  
Kirsten decided to clear up Sandy's confusion as she brought the last take- out container to the table. "Ryan received a letter of acceptance from CCA the other day. They want him to go up and see the campus. Ryan doesn't want to, but Seth wants the time away and Dad and I think it wouldn't hurt Ryan to consider it."  
  
"Caleb knows what's going on in this family before I do?"  
  
Ryan jumped in. "No one knew until today and I had to ask Caleb for the time off." He looked chagrined. "I was going to tell you guys. Really."  
  
"It's OK, Ryan. No one's blaming you." Kirsten shot a look at Sandy before focusing back on Ryan. "Why don't you boys leave on Sunday? That way you don't have to rush to get there and it'll give you a day in the city before you have to find the campus."  
  
"I can live with Sunday. How 'bout it, Ryan? Sunday work for you?"  
  
Ryan shook his head resignedly. "Why not? I've had no control over this whole thing from the beginning. I don't know why it should change now."  
  
Seth smiled. "Good. Hey, you know what, Ryan?"  
  
Ryan looked wearily at Seth.  
  
Seth started dancing in his chair and singing, "We're going on a road trip; we're going on a road trip."  
  
Ryan smiled in spite of himself. "You really have been spending too much time alone this summer, haven't you?"  
  
Seth nodded his head and grinned. "I really have, Ryan. I really have."  
  
TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

On Friday when Ryan got to the office, the data he needed for Mike still hadn't come from the client. He called over to find out exactly when to expect it and was assured that it was on its way. Ryan then had to reassure Mike, who was in a panic. Ryan again promised that the analysis would be on Lisa's desk before he left.  
  
The data didn't arrive until nearly 3pm, and once Ryan started the analysis, he realized it was going to take longer than he thought. Kirsten couldn't convince him to come home at the end of the day. Ryan grabbed a sandwich for supper and worked until 10pm. Once he realized he wasn't close to finishing, he decided to call it a night and come in on Saturday morning to finish up.  
  
Saturday morning, Seth appeared in the kitchen with his skateboard in hand. "Hey," he said to Ryan who was already there, "I thought we could head to the pier after breakfast this morning."  
  
Ryan shook his head. "Sorry, man," he said through a mouth full of cereal, "I've got to in to the office to finish something up this morning. Why don't you call Summer and see what she's up to?"  
  
Seth's whole body drooped. "No, it's a mall day for her today. Come on, man," he whined. "We always go to the pier on Saturday."  
  
"I know, Seth, but I'm also spending the next four days in a car with you. And I've got to get this done before I go."  
  
"Fine," Seth pouted. Then his face brightened. "But you're starting to look forward to this trip, aren't you?"  
  
He was. He figured he and Seth could blow off the campus tour – Seth wasn't concerned with that part anyway. They could tell Kirsten that it was a nice college but it wasn't for Ryan and everyone would be happy. "Yeah, I am. But I won't have fun if I know I didn't get this done, so I've got to go." He got up from the table and started to leave. "I should be back around lunch, hopefully. Will you be here when I get back?"  
  
"Where else would I go?" Seth asked. After Ryan left, he figured he'd head over to the skateboard park and practice some new tricks. That should keep him occupied until lunch.

* * *

When Caleb walked into the offices, he was surprised to see Ryan there. "What are you doing, Ryan?"  
  
Ryan had been so engrossed on finishing what he was doing he hadn't heard Caleb come in and jumped when he heard his voice. "Oh, Mr Nichol. I was just finishing up something for Mike."  
  
"I didn't see a car outside when I arrived."  
  
"I biked in."  
  
Caleb couldn't get over how committed Ryan was this job. Ryan never failed to impress him. "Well, I should be here about an hour. How about I give you a ride home when you're ready to go?"  
  
"Oh, you don't need to..." Ryan looked at Caleb and decided he shouldn't argue. "OK. I should be done by then."  
  
"Good. Come to my office when you're finished."

* * *

An hour and a half later, Ryan's bike was in the limo's trunk and he and Caleb were through the gates of the Cohen's gated community. Ryan noticed Kirsten's car in front of them, and they followed it to the Cohen driveway.  
  
Ryan got out of the limo and was going to get his bike from the trunk when he heard Sandy ask him for some help. He turned and walked toward the Range Rover and that's when he saw Seth trying to get out of the back seat, looking white as a ghost, with a cast on his leg. Ryan rushed over to help Sandy get Seth out of the car and into the house.  
  
Kirsten got to the den first and stacked some pillows on the couch. Ryan and Sandy deposited Seth as gently as they could and helped him get his leg elevated on the pillows. Caleb followed behind them, carrying Seth's crutches.  
  
Once Seth was settled, Ryan sat in the chair beside him. "What happened?"  
  
"It was kind of cool." Seth's face lit up.  
  
Kirsten called from the kitchen, "It was not cool."  
  
Seth grinned. "I had totally mastered this new move. Ok, maybe I hadn't totally mastered it, or else I wouldn't have broken my ankle. I had mostly mastered it, but on my last attempt, my board slipped when I was in the air. Instead of landing on the board, I landed on my foot and it went crunch." Seth paled at the memory. "OK, maybe Mom was right. It wasn't that cool."  
  
"So I guess that means the road trip is cancelled."  
  
"What do you mean? I can still ride in car."  
  
"Ryan's right, Seth," Sandy said. "You can't sit in car for over 6 hours with a freshly broken ankle. You complained the whole way home from the hospital."  
  
"This is so unfair."  
  
"What about CCA?" Caleb said.  
  
"It's not important. I don't have to go."  
  
"Ryan, I really think you should check it out," Kirsten said.  
  
"I'm not driving to San Francisco by myself."  
  
Kirsten looked at Sandy. He said, "I'd love to go with you, but I'm in court all week and I can't get out of it."  
  
Kirsten smiled. "I'll go with you. I don't have anything pressing at work this week, and I'd love to see the campus with you."  
  
"Kirsten..."  
  
"It'll be fun, Ryan." Kirsten looked at him expectantly.  
  
"What about Seth? He shouldn't stay here by himself."  
  
"Rosa'll be in and can get him what he needs."  
  
Seth added, "And Summer can come by in the afternoon after her volunteer shift at the hospital."  
  
Ryan shot Seth a death glare. He wasn't helping.  
  
"I'll need to clear some things off my desk tomorrow, so why don't we plan to leave Monday?"  
  
Ryan realized there was no arguing with Kirsten, so he smiled at her and said, "Sounds good."

* * *

Ryan spent Sunday keeping Seth company. They played video games for the most part, while Seth was awake. His painkillers made him sleepy, so he dozed on and off. At one point while Seth was sleeping, Ryan considered getting his sketch pad from the pool house, but he didn't want to chance Sandy or Kirsten coming by, wanting to see what he was doing. He knew they had seen some of his work at school, but he wasn't quite ready to share his drawings with them while he was in the same room.  
  
After supper, he went out to the pool house to pack. How did he end up going on a road trip with Kirsten? The thought of spending the next three days alone with Kirsten frightened him a little. It's not that he didn't like Kirsten; they were actually a lot alike. He just didn't know what they were going to talk about on the 13-hour return trip. With Seth, he knew he could just sit there and listen to his incessant babbling, but with Kirsten it was going to take effort. But she did seem excited about the trip.  
  
She was also excited about CCA. He knew it had the best architecture program in California, and was one of the top-rated schools in the country. But he didn't need the best – he never needed the best. USC was a good school in its own right. He'd be sharing an apartment with Seth; he'd still be close to the Cohens. USC was more than he ever dreamed of before he came to live with the Cohens. And San Francisco seemed a long way away.  
  
He debated throwing his sketchpad in. He wondered if he'd get any time to himself. He doubted it, but he took it with him anyway, just in case.

* * *

The next morning Ryan and Kirsten loaded their bags into the Range Rover. They went back inside to say good-bye to Seth.  
  
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Kirsten was starting to have second thoughts about leaving Seth by himself.  
  
"I'll be fine, Mom. Summer took the morning off from the hospital today so she'll be here soon. You two go. Have fun." He smirked. "So who's driving?"  
  
Kirsten and Ryan looked at each other. "It's a long drive. We'll probably take turns," Kirsten said.  
  
"Yeah, but who's going to start?"  
  
"Well, Ryan, if you want..."  
  
"No, Kirsten, it's up to you. Your car and everything..."  
  
Seth laughed at them. "Yeah, this is going to be a fun trip, I can tell. So I've got something for you."  
  
Seth grabbed an envelope and handed it to Ryan. It was heavy, and Ryan turned it over to open it.  
  
"No, don't! Not yet."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't want to be in a car alone with you and Mom, so this is a little something to help you two pass the time."  
  
Ryan looked skeptically at Seth.  
  
"Don't open it until you're on your way. Promise?"  
  
"I promise, Seth," Ryan humored him.  
  
"I'm serious, dude. If you open it before you leave, it'll self-destruct and then you'll never know what was in it."  
  
Seth looked so earnest that Ryan laughed. "Fine. Not till we're on the road."  
  
"You'll thank me for this, dude. You'll see."  
  
TBC2 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I hope no one is too disappointed that this isn't Seth/Ryan. I didn't really mean to fool people, it just took so long to get Ryan & Kirsten into the car together! Also, I realize Hotel California isn't on the same album as Desperado - creative license. And my name isn't Josh Schwartz - as a result, I don't own anything to do with OC.

* * *

As Ryan and Kirsten walked to the car, Kirsten asked, "Are you sure you don't want to drive first?"

"No, that's OK, Kirsten. You can. Unless you don't want to…"

"No, I don't mind. I just wanted to be sure you were OK with it..."

"Yeah, go ahead. You drive first."

They both got into the car and they were underway. Once they got onto the highway, Ryan pulled the envelope out of his pocket. "What do you think this is?"

"Who knows with Seth. I guess the only way to find out is to open it."

Ryan opened it up and pulled out a stack of index cards and a note. He read the note out loud. "_Hi guys, I didn't want a perfectly good road trip wasted on you two sitting there the whole time in silence. So I've given you some good topics for discussion, as well as some things to do along the way. Enjoy!_"

"He's crazy, right? Only Seth can monopolize the conversation even when he's not here."

"It might be fun?" Kirsten said. Ryan looked at her. She looked like she wanted to try Seth's game. He guessed it couldn't hurt to try. They didn't have to do everything he said.

"OK, here's the first index card. _Your first topic is an easy one. Discuss me! I'm sure there's lots of things you guys can say about me so I'll limit you to an hour. So after an hour you have to stop talking about me. It'll be hard, but I have so much more planned for you._" Ryan looked incredulous. "He's not serious, is he?"

Kirsten laughed. "Of course he is. Seth Cohen is his favourite thing to talk about so he'd assume it was everyone's favourite subject. And it is something we have in common?"

Ryan was dubious. "I guess."

Kirsten was getting into this game. "Let's start with something we like about him."

Ryan didn't want to disappoint her. "OK. You go first."

"What I like about Seth is how open he is. He doesn't know how to hide what he's feeling. Whether he's happy, sad, mad, he'll let you know what's going on with him." Kirsten laughed. "Sometimes it's more than you want to know, but he'll always tell you. Your turn. What do you like about Seth?"

Ryan thought for a minute. What did he like about Seth? He said, "I like how he can distract me from myself."

Kirsten glanced at Ryan. "What do you mean?"

Oh. He had to explain it? Did he want to tell Kirsten how Seth's babble could keep him from going too far into his head when he had too much on his mind? "I don't know. I mean, I like how he's always joking, making me laugh."

Kirsten just nodded, but didn't say anything. She didn't think that's what he meant the first time, but she didn't want to push him. They had a long drive ahead of them and she preferred to do it with a Ryan that was talking to her. "OK. How about something we don't like about him?"

Ryan looked at her and smiled. "Hey, you're his mother. There's not supposed to be anything about him you don't like." 

Kirsten smiled back. "I always have to love him. I don't always have to like him."

"Ouch. OK, tell me, what don't you like about your own son?"

Kirsten laughed. "If you put it that way, maybe we had just better move on."

"Good idea. I'll check the next card to see what we're supposed to do next." Ryan pulled the stack of index cards out and read the next one, "_Hey, that wasn't an hour yet. I bet you're not even at Long Beach yet._" Ryan looked up just as they were passing a sign that read 'Long Beach: 10 mi'. "How did he do that? _Keep talking about me!_"

"He certainly is persistent," Kirsten said.

"Does that fall under the like or don't like qualities?" Ryan teased.

"Depends on the situation," Kirsten replied, and they both laughed.

"Tell me about when he was little," Ryan suggested. "Any embarrassing stories you can think of."

So Kirsten started telling Ryan stories about when they lived in Berkeley. Like the time Seth decided to run away, but he knew he wasn't allowed to cross the street without a parent, so he just kept walking around the block until he got tired and came home again. And how on his third birthday he got a shiny red tricycle and he rode it up and down the hallway in their house, singing at the top of his lungs "Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday Dear Me! Happy Birthday to ME!"

After they finished laughing about the time Seth tried to flush all his socks down the toilet, Kirsten suggested they look at the next card. "Because knowing Seth," she said, "there's probably at least one more card in there that suggests we discuss him and we don't want to use up all our stories."

Ryan pulled out the stack of cards and read the next one. "_Knowing you two, you've been driving for over an hour now and there's been no music playing._" Ryan looked at Kirsten. "I think he knows us too well._ Whoever is in the passenger seat gets to pick out a CD to listen to. Yeah, I know, neither one of you thought to even bring CDs. That's why I had my lowly minion (read Dad) stock the vehicle with CDs._"

Kirsten interrupted, "God, I hope we aren't subjected to Sandy's choices."

Ryan laughed and kept reading. "_Don't worry. I gave him explicit instructions about which CDs to include. Check behind the seat. And pick something _you_ want to hear. The other person will get a chance later. Feel free to talk about anything you want, or just listen to the music. See, I'm not all controlling in this game._"

Ryan reached behind the seat and got the CD holder out. He wondered what CDs Seth included. He started flipping through them. He realized some of them were his, from the pool house. When did Sandy get them? He started trying to decide. Journey was a possibility. It was an 80s band, so Kirsten might enjoy them. He had no idea what type of music Kirsten liked. Outkast? No, definitely not. He was pretty sure they weren't Kirsten's type of music. Eagles Greatest Hits? He liked The Eagles, but that wasn't his CD. That must mean Kirsten liked them too. OK, The Eagles it was. He slipped the CD out and popped it in.

Kirsten looked at Ryan while he chose a CD. She had enjoyed sharing her silly Seth stories with him but it made her think. Who knew all the silly Ryan stories? Sure, they had accumulated a few since he came to live with them, but all of his cute little boy stories? Dawn had those, if she even remembered any. It made Kirsten realize how lonely it must be, to have no one around who shared your history, who knew anything about you.

As the sound of Desperado came out of the stereo, Kirsten looked at Ryan and accused, "You cheated!"

Ryan feigned being hurt at the accusation. "What do you mean?"

"Seth said pick something _you_ like. I'm pretty sure this is my CD."

Ryan looked sheepish. "I know. But I do like The Eagles."

"Really? Where did you learn to like The Eagles?"

Ryan hesitated before saying, "My dad listened to them all the time. On Saturday mornings, we'd get up and Dad would have the stereo on while he was working around the house." Ryan smiled at the memory. "I'd follow him around, hand him the tools he needed."

Kirsten smiled too. Ryan never revealed much about his childhood and Kirsten was relieved to know he had some happy memories.

Hotel California came on. "Oh, I love this song," Kirsten exclaimed as she turned it up. As the words started, Kirsten started singing along softly. "On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair…" Once she got to the chorus, she got louder. "Welcome to the Hotel California..."

After the song ended, Ryan started to laugh.

"What?"

"I've never heard you sing before. You don't strike me as the singing type."

"Shows what you know," Kirsten replied. "I used to sing with a friend at Open Mike nights when I was in college. Well, she was the singer and guitar player, I just joined her once in a while."

"Does Seth know that?! He'd have a field day with that knowledge."

"Yeah, he would, wouldn't he?"

Then Peaceful Easy Feeling came on and Kirsten started singing again. Ryan stared out the window and listened to her, singing along under his breath. Kirsten realized Ryan was singing too, but she didn't say anything. He had a nice baritone and didn't want to embarrass him into stopping.

When the CD ended, Ryan sighed. "I guess that means it's time for a new Seth card."

"It hasn't been too bad, has it?" Kirsten asked. She was actually enjoying Seth's "tasks".

"Not so far," Ryan agreed. "I'm just nervous each time we have to read a new one. Who knows what his mind can come up with?

Ryan pulled out the next card. "_Time for a game. It's called 'The Geography Game'. Driver starts by naming a place, say 'Newport'. Then the passenger has to name a place that starts with the last letter, in this case 'T'. Keep going until someone can't think of a new place._"

Kirsten looked expectantly at Ryan. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. I don't really do games."

"Oh." Kirsten looked disappointed.

"No, we'll play," Ryan said.

"Not if you don't want to, Ryan."

Ryan gave Kirsten a half-smile. "It's not like I have anything else to do."

It turned out that Kirsten and Ryan were both quite competitive. They each tried to come up with the most obscure places they could think of, challenging the other to ask, "Where's that?" or exclaim "That's not a place."

Finally Ryan got an H and said, "Halifax."

Kirsten looked at him and said, "Where?"

"It's a place up in Canada."

"And you know this how?"

"We read Longfellow's Evangeline in English class. It's a poem about this girl who was exiled from Nova Scotia. Halifax is in Nova Scotia." Ryan smirked. "That gives you an X."

"X? There's nowhere that starts with X."

"You give up? That means I win."

"No, you don't win. It's not that I couldn't think of a place. There's just no place that starts with X. You cheated." Kirsten laughed.

"Face it, Kirsten. I won."

"I'm not admitting anything. But if it makes you feel better to pretend you won and didn't cheat, then I'll leave you to your delusions."

Ryan laughed and shook his head. "All right. How about I check the next card?" He pulled it out. "_It must be almost time for lunch. You have a break until after lunch._"

Ryan checked his watch. "He's right. It is about that time. Should we look for a place to stop?"

"Good idea. Next exit, we'll stop for lunch and stretch our legs."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I still don't own The OC. I also don't own Harry Chapin, though I do have some of his CDs.

* * *

When they finished eating, Kirsten handed Ryan the keys. "Your turn to drive," she said.

Once they got in the car, Ryan told Kirsten, "That makes you keeper of Seth's game. Dare we chance another card?"

"I'm game if you are," Kirsten replied.

"All right, let's see what he has in store for us next."

Kirsten reached into the envelope and pulled out the next card. "_Time for some introspection. Ask the other person a question you always wanted to know about them but were afraid to ask._"

Kirsten noticed Ryan tense up and she silently cursed Seth. In what universe did he think Ryan would enjoy that? "We don't have to do it. We can just listen to some music or something."

"No, we can," Ryan decided. "It doesn't say we have to answer the question, just that it has to be asked." He glanced at Kirsten to see what she thought.

Kirsten smiled. "You're right. But we can answer it if we want. How's that?"

"That sounds OK."

"All right. You go first." Kirsten wanted to gauge what level of intensity Ryan's question was before she asked him her question. She didn't want to probe too deep and then have him ask what her favourite colour was, or if she had pets growing up.

Ryan thought for a minute. Then he asked, "Why do you let your father push you around?"

Kirsten was taken off guard. "Pardon me?"

Ryan looked embarrassed, but he explained his question. "Well, you don't take much from anyone else – Sandy, Seth, Hailey…me." Ryan smiled a little, then turned serious again. "But you let your father tell you what to do. I just wondered why."

"Oh. I…I don't know." Kirsten was flustered. That wasn't a question she was expecting.

"You don't have to answer. I'm sorry I asked."

"No, don't be sorry. I'll answer. I guess it's just…he's my dad."

Ryan nodded. He could understand that.

But Kirsten continued. "I sort of rebelled when I went to college. I married Sandy and we lived in Berkeley and my dad wasn't happy about any of it. Then we moved home when my mom got sick and I started trying to be everything he wanted me to be, for her sake, so we wouldn't be fighting anymore. But he's never really forgiven me, so I guess I keep trying to win him over."

"But shouldn't he be grateful you came back? You run the most successful division of The Newport Group, you've given him his only grandson…"

"Grandsons," Kirsten corrected.

Ryan shook his head. "You know what I mean. What else do you have to prove to him? He'd be lost if you weren't around."

"Yeah, but he's still my dad."

"Yeah, I guess," Ryan agreed. The he braced himself. "It's your turn."

Kirsten looked at Ryan. There were so many things about him that she didn't know. But what was a safe question, that wouldn't upset him too much. She was pretty sure anything she really wanted to know about him would upset him.

"OK, you asked about my father; I want to ask about your mother." Kirsten paused. "Did she hit you?"

Ryan was quiet for a long time. Kirsten thought he wasn't going to answer. Then he said, "No, my mother never hit me."

Kirsten was relieved to hear that. She couldn't imagine hurting her own child.

"But she didn't care if anyone else did."

"Oh," was all Kirsten could manage to say. She would do anything to protect her boys and she couldn't imagine letting anyone hurt them.

"So what's next on the cards?" Ryan quickly changed the subject.

"Let me see. _Time for some more music. Whoever didn't pick last time, gets to pick this time. And remember, pick something _you_ want to listen to._ I guess that's me."

Kirsten looked through the CDs. She found one she liked and popped it in.

Ryan didn't recognize it at all. It was some song about a guy driving a truck full of bananas. "What is this, Kirsten? The guy just got crushed by 30,000 pounds of bananas? You aren't serious, are you? I at least picked something that you liked."

Kirsten acted offended. "It's Harry Chapin, Ryan. He was a great singer/songwriter from the 70s. I listened to him all the time in college."

Ryan made a face at Kirsten. "Well, it's not my fault you didn't follow Seth's instructions. You didn't have to pick something I liked. That was your choice. This is mine. Give it a chance."

Ryan couldn't imagine liking this stuff. A song about the Titanic sinking? A song about a mail order bride? They weren't all as weird as that first banana song, but this guy sang about strange stuff.

Then a song came on about a man who was always too busy to play with his son. When the son grew up, the father had more time, but then the son was too busy.

_As I hung up the phone it occurred to me,  
He'd grown up just like me, yeah.  
My boy was just like me._

Ryan thought about the song. He said to Kirsten, "I'm not going to be like my mother."

Kirsten was surprised by this disclosure. "Of course you're not, Ryan. What made you say that?"

"That song. The son grew up and was too busy for his family, just like his father was. I'm not going to be just like my mother."

"But it doesn't say the son was too busy for his family; he was too busy for his father. The son couldn't visit his father because he had to be with his family. Why should he make time for someone who never made time for him? So the son wasn't like his father – he was the opposite of his father."

Ryan thought about this. He could be the opposite of Dawn. He could put other people ahead of his own needs. He could take care of people around him, not use them when he needed something and ignore them all other times.

Finally, the CD ended. "Thank God that's over," Ryan said.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?" Kirsten asked.

"Well, it's not one I'd put on willingly, but I guess some of it was all right," Ryan grudgingly admitted.

"You'd better be careful, or you might end up with a Harry Chapin CD in your Chrismukkah stocking this year."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "You can give it to me, but you can't make me play it!"

"OK, let's see what Seth has in store for us next." Kirsten pulled out the next card. "_Tell the other person something about yourself that you don't think they know._" Kirsten looked at Ryan. "Do you want to go first?"

"Not especially."

"Do you want to do it at all?"

Ryan looked back at Kirsten. "We can do it. Just, you go first."

"OK." Kirsten thought about what she could tell him. "But you have to promise not to tell Seth or Sandy about this."

This intrigued Ryan. "OK."

"No, you have to promise."

"Yeah, I promise. No telling Seth or Sandy."

Kirsten couldn't believe she was going to admit this. "Sometimes, after everyone's gone to bed…"

Kirsten paused and Ryan couldn't imagine where she was going with this. "Yes?" he said.

"I play Seth's videogames."

"What?"

"The rush of the stabbing and killing? Especially if I've had a rough day with contractors, my dad, you boys? It's great to take out my frustrations." Kirsten smiled. "And I'm pretty good at it."

Ryan couldn't believe this. "You play the ninja game?"

Kirsten nodded her head giddily.

Ryan smiled. "Seth will flip when he hears this."

"No, he won't. Because he won't hear it. You promised you wouldn't tell him."

"So what are you going to do when we take the Playstation with us in the fall? You'll have to tell Sandy why you need a buy one for yourself."

"Oh, you won't be taking it with you in the fall. It will distract too much from your studies. No, it's best if the Playstation stays at the house, and you boys can play it when you come home to visit." Kirsten smirked.

"That is so unfair. Seth won't be happy. At all!"

"Sometimes it's fun being a parent," Kirsten laughed. "OK, are you ready? It's your turn."

"I don't know if I can follow that. Let me think." Just then Ryan saw an exit for Fresno. "I used to live in Fresno."

Kirsten looked at Ryan. Was that his answer in the game, or was that just a random fact he decided to state? Because while Ryan had never mentioned it before, it was something she and Sandy were aware of.

"My mom moved us down to Chino after my dad went to prison." He glanced at Kirsten. "Did you know that?"

Kirsten wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't told them much about his past, but he had to know Social Services would have given them some information. She also didn't want to lie to him. "I knew that your dad was arrested in Fresno County, and that you were still living with him at the time."

Ryan just nodded, tight lipped.

Kirsten continued. "But that's the extent of our knowledge." She smiled at him. "Social Services didn't really tell us much about you. You're a mystery," she tried to joke, but Ryan wasn't in the mood.

"So I guess that doesn't count for the game then, since it's something you already knew."

Kirsten thought Ryan had shared quite a bit with her today and felt no need to make him reveal more of himself if he wasn't comfortable. "I think it counts, since it's something you didn't think I knew."

"OK."

Ryan was feeling uneasy, and Kirsten didn't know how to make it better. She thought they should move on to another card, but she'd hate for it to be another probing question. "Do you want to try another card?" she asked him.

Ryan was wary. "I don't know."

"What if I read it first, and if it's something easy, I'll let you know. If it's another discussion question, we'll set it aside."

"Yeah, OK."

Kirsten pulled the next card. "Oh, it's another game. Are you up for a game?"

Ryan smiled. "Sure, as long as you're up for losing again!"

"I didn't lose the last one," Kirsten said indignantly, "but let's not get into that again. Here goes: _Let's play The Alphabet Game. Keep your eyes on billboards, license plates, and anything else that has writing on it. Find the letters of the alphabet in order._"

Ryan looked disappointed. "How can I win at that? It sounds like we work together."

"We could each do the alphabet separately and the first one to finish wins," Kirsten suggested.

"You're on!"

It took some time to work out the rules but they had a great time playing, as Ryan put it, "Cutthroat Alphabet". Kirsten ended up winning, because she found the elusive "Q" first. There was much dispute over who actually first saw the van with "Suzy Q The Clown" written on the side, but Kirsten asserted that it was her Q. Ryan then claimed that because he was driving, he was at a disadvantage and it wasn't really fair.

By the time they finished the game, they were close enough that they had to concentrate on taking the right exits and finding the right streets for their hotel.

TBC4


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - The review of the last chapter were overwhelming. Thanks, everyone.

* * *

Kirsten and Ryan walked up to the front desk. "Hi, we have a room reserved under Cohen."

The desk clerk started typing in his computer. "Yes, here it is." He looked at Kirsten and Ryan. "Would you like a king sized or two queens?"

Ryan smirked and Kirsten was shocked. "He's my son!"

The clerk look embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. Of course he is. You'll want two queens then?"

Ryan and Kirsten walked into their room. In terms of hotel rooms, it was quite spacious. The two beds were just past the bathroom. By the large windows was a sitting area with a couch and two chairs.

Ryan set the bags down and Kirsten went exploring the room. When she came out of the bathroom, she noticed Ryan sitting in a chair, looking out the window. She had planned on suggesting they go look for a restaurant for supper, but she thought that he might need some space. It was a long ride in the car, and Ryan was a person who needed time to himself.

"You know what? I thought I might go for a swim before supper. Cool off, get refreshed. Did you want to come?"

Ryan gave a sigh of relief to himself. "No, that's OK. I think I'll just stay here, unwind. Is that all right?"

Kirsten smiled. "Not a problem at all. I'll just get changed."

After Kirsten left, Ryan sat looking out the window, at the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. He got out his sketchpad. He started taking art classes at Harbor High when he realized he needed it to be an architect, and discovered that he really enjoyed it. He found drawing to be a great way to relax; a chance to think about things. He reflected on the car ride – he actually had fun with Kirsten. He didn't know what made him ask her about Caleb, or tell her about Fresno, but he realized that it wasn't a terrible thing to talk to Kirsten about things. She didn't pry, or ask too many questions; she just listened.

He was so caught up in his thoughts and his sketching that he didn't hear Kirsten come back until she said, "Wow, that looks amazing."

Ryan turned red and quickly closed his book. "Yeah, I was just…"

Kirsten hadn't meant to startle him. "I'm sorry. I thought you heard me come in. I wouldn't have looked if you didn't want me to."

"That's OK. I just have a hard time letting people see my stuff"

"Well, what I saw looked good." Kirsten looked hopeful. "Maybe you'll show me the rest of it sometime?"

Ryan nodded slightly and gave her a half smile. "Maybe."

"All right, let's go explore the city. We'll find somewhere to eat. Maybe we can ride a cable car."

Ryan laughed at Kirsten's enthusiasm. "Maybe."

* * *

Kirsten was thrilled when the concierge told them they could catch a cable car outside their hotel and ride it down the hill to find a seafood restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf.

Ryan was leery. "Cable car, Kirsten?" he asked. "Why don't we just walk down? It's a nice night and it's not that far."

Kirsten was exasperated by Ryan's lack of enthusiasm for anything fun. "Ryan, we're in San Francisco. They have cable cars. We're going to ride them. When we get back, people are going to ask 'Did you ride cable cars in San Francisco?' and what are you going to tell them?"

Ryan laughed. "I'll tell them no, I didn't."

Kirsten frowned. "Don't make me beg. I want to ride a cable car."

Ryan relented, like he knew he would. He wasn't going to say no to Kirsten. For one thing, she was financing the trip. If Kirsten wanted to do something, they were pretty much going to do it.

So they rode the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. Ryan didn't quite get what the big deal was about cable cars, but Kirsten seemed to think it was exciting. They wandered around looking at the sights, and then found a little seafood restaurant. Kirsten ordered the Seafood Risotto and Ryan got the Stuffed Calamari. While they were waiting for their food, Kirsten asked Ryan, "So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

"I'm supposed to meet with the advisor around 10 tomorrow morning. I think there'll be a tour of the campus. I'm not sure what else. We should be done by lunch. So we could think about heading back…" Ryan noticed that Kirsten looked disappointed at that suggestion, "…or we could do some touristy stuff in the afternoon."

Kirsten grinned. "It'll be fun, Ryan."

Ryan just shook his head. "You keep saying that," he said, but he didn't protest either.

* * *

The next morning, Kirsten and Ryan arrived at the college campus. They found the office where they were supposed to meet with Dr Amyotte. He was looking at slides with his assistant Leann when they found him, and they introduced themselves.

Leann picked up the slides as Dr Amyotte motioned for Ryan to take a seat. Kirsten followed Leann out of the office and sat down to wait.

Leann sat at her desk and kept looking at the slides. "This is Ryan's portfolio," she said to Kirsten. "He's got a different perspective than a lot of the other portfolios we see."

"Really?" Kirsten asked.

"You don't find it different?" Leann asked.

"I haven't really seen it," Kirsten admitted. "What do you mean by different?"

"It seems to focus on aspects that most people don't notice. Not all of it, mind you. But it is interesting. Do you want to see?" She held up the slides toward Kirsten.

Kirsten glanced at the closed office door. She was tempted to look but she figured if Ryan wanted her to see them, he'd have shown them to her. "No, I better not…" She reconsidered but then thought better. "No, I won't. He'll show me if he wants me to see."

"Wow, you show great restraint. Most parents jump at the chance to see their kids' work."

"Well, Ryan's different. I don't like to invade his privacy."

Ryan and Dr Amyotte came out of the office. "We're going on a tour of the campus," Dr Amyotte said. "Do you want to come with us?"

Kirsten stood up. "Sure."

Dr Amyotte gestured to the slides on Leann's desk. "That's a great portfolio. You must be proud of his work."

"I like what I've seen," Kirsten agreed. She smiled at Ryan. "He just hasn't shown us much of it."

"So you don't like to share your work?" he said to Ryan. "You're good, if a little raw. Have you been drawing long?"

Ryan looked embarrassed. "I've only been taking classes for two years, since I've been at Harbor High. Chino Hills didn't really have an art program."

"Chino Hills? I thought you were from Newport Beach."

Even after two years, Ryan had never figured out an easy way to explain his situation with the Cohens. It wasn't really anyone's business why he lived with them, but people always had questions.

Kirsten jumped in. "Ryan lived with his family in Chino before he came to live with us." She said it matter-of-factly, indicating that there was no need for more questions.

Dr Amyotte opened a door and stepped inside. "Here's the first year studio. We have space for 20 freshmen and we usually matriculate about 12."

The studio was a spacious room. Each station had a drafting table and a worktable. Next to each worktable was a cabinet where supplies could be stored. Along one wall were large windows, so there was lots of natural light. "Wow, this is nice," thought Ryan.

Dr Amyotte showed them the rest of the campus. When they got back to his office, he shook Ryan's hand and said, "I look forward to seeing you in the fall."

"Yeah, I'm still thinking about it. I mean, I haven't decided what I'm doing yet."

"Oh. Well, if you're unsure, why don't you go over to the Oakland campus this afternoon and look around? There's a shuttle that takes students back and forth between the campuses during the school year. That's where the residence is, and you'll have some classes over there too." He smiled. "It might help you decide."

Ryan looked at Kirsten. "Well, we had plans for this afternoon…"

Kirsten shook her head. "Checking out CCA is why we came – that's our priority. Besides," she grinned at Ryan, "it'll be fun."

"So you keep saying."

"Good. I'll call over and make sure there's someone who can let you in at the residence," said Dr Amyotte.

* * *

After lunch, Ryan and Kirsten headed over to the Oakland campus. It was bigger than the San Francisco campus, and had a lot more green space. They had a chance to tour the residence and some the other buildings.

After they were done looking around, Kirsten and Ryan sat down on a bench in the quad. "The residence was nice," Kirsten said optimistically.

"The rooms were kind of small," Ryan replied.

"If you'd rather, we can always get you an apartment instead."

"I can't ask you guys to do that. I can't ask you guys to do this. I have a full scholarship to USC; I can live with Seth. This," he gestured around the campus, "is too much."

"Ryan, money shouldn't be a factor in your decision. You have to be where it's best for you."

"And you want me to be here, in San Francisco?" Ryan asked.

"I think it would be good for you. It's a really good college and a great opportunity."

"What about Seth? Won't he be disappointed if I come here instead of living with him?"

"Seth will get along fine without you. He'll adjust and make new friends at USC. He doesn't need you to live with him." Kirsten was trying to convince Ryan to make his decision based on his own needs, not anyone else's.

"No, I guess he doesn't." Ryan realized Kirsten could counter every one of Ryan's reasons for staying in LA. She really did want him in San Francisco. "I suppose CCA is the right choice then."

"I think that's a good decision," Kirsten smiled. "And, I was talking to one of our suppliers and got some great seats for the Giants game tonight. Are you up for some baseball?"

"I am, but are you? I didn't know you liked baseball."

"It's the whole experience, Ryan. It's the beer and hotdogs, the peanuts and popcorn, the roar of the crowd, the giant scoreboard. The actual game is but a small part."

Ryan thought Kirsten was just way too enthusiastic about everything on this trip. "Sounds fun," he said cautiously. "But if you start singing 'Take Me out to the Ballgame'? I'm pretending I don't know you."

Kirsten put her arm around him. "Oh, Ryan. You act more and more like my actual teenage son every day."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Ryan and Kirsten had fun at the ballgame. As soon as they got to the stadium, Kirsten headed for the team store so she could outfit them as fans. Hats, jerseys, gloves – Ryan tried to protest ("It's too much") but Kirsten would have none of it ("Nonsense. We're at the game, we're going to look like fans.").

They had fabulous seats down the third base line. Kirsten was watching Ryan look around and take everything in. She asked him if he'd ever been to a baseball game before. He shook his head no, which made Kirsten glad she had thought of this.

As the national anthem was playing, a father with his son took their seats behind Ryan and Kirsten. The boy was about eight, with brown curly hair sticking out from under his Giants' ball cap, and he was wearing Giants' T-shirt. Ryan felt self-conscious in his authentic jersey – he would have preferred a regular T-shirt like the boy had on. The boy was very excited. He kept telling his dad what a great birthday present the ballgame was.

During the first inning, Kirsten was trying to decide between hot dogs or nachos. Ryan didn't know what Kirsten was planning to do with all the food she wanted to get at the game. Even before she finished her hot dog, she was looking for the popcorn vendor. Kirsten just kept insisting that they were going to get a complete, authentic baseball experience, and that included all the food that went with it.

The little boy behind them was spouting off the statistics of every player who came to bat. Kirsten turned around and commented that the boy must be a big fan. His father nodded his head and told her they watched every game on TV, but this was their first game live. Kirsten told them that this was Ryan's first live baseball game too.

The little boy looked at Ryan's jersey and said that he had wanted one for his first game but his dad said they were too expensive. Ryan was embarrassed and told the little boy that he actually like his T-shirt better. "But," he added in a stage whisper so Kirsten could hear him, "the crazy lady I'm with can't stop buying things." Kirsten looked at him and mockingly said, "Ha, ha, ha," but she was secretly happy that Ryan was comfortable enough to tease her.

In the third inning, Kirsten pointed out Lou Seal, the Giants' mascot. He was on the other side of the stadium, leading a group of fans in a conga line. Kirsten thought it looked fun, and wondered out loud if he would come over to their side and do it again. Ryan just glared and asked what kind of name Lou was for a seal, anyway. The little boy behind them piped up that his actual name was Luigi and he was found in the Bay. Ryan nodded politely, but Kirsten turned around and she and the boy discussed Lou's history. Ryan was tempted to point out that it was just a man in a suit and not a real seal, but he remembered how disappointed Seth was when he ruined the illusion about Spiderman at the Comic Book Fair. And Seth had been 16.

By the fifth inning, Lou Seal had worked his way over to their side of the field. To Kirsten's delight, he started another conga line. Kirsten wanted to join in, but the look of mortification on Ryan's face was just too much. After the conga line, Lou started the wave going. Kirsten was determined to participate, even though she had to pull on Ryan's arm to get him to stand up every time. Ryan was actually enjoying the crowd and would have participated willingly, but he was having more fun watching Kirsten get frustrated with his lack of enthusiasm.

In the seventh inning, Ryan caught a foul ball that was headed straight for Kirsten's head; she had been trying to get the peanut guy's attention and hadn't been watching the game. Kirsten loved seeing the grin on Ryan's face after he caught the ball. The boy behind them was so excited for Ryan and asked to see it. Ryan handed it to him and Kirsten was shocked to hear Ryan tell the boy that he could keep it. The boy's grin was even wider than Ryan's was when he caught the ball, and Kirsten wouldn't have thought that was possible.

The Giants ended up winning the game 7-5, though Ryan wasn't sure that Kirsten had watched any of it. She was right when she had said earlier that to her it was about the experience. As they drove back to the hotel, Ryan said, "Thanks, Kirsten. That was fun."

Kirsten smiled "Well, I'm glad you had a good time." She worried that she had been too enthusiastic for him. "The little boy behind us was cute. He sort of reminded me of Seth at that age. Except that Seth knew everything there was to know about Pokémon, not baseball teams. But you didn't have to give him your baseball."

"Did you see the look on his face? He would get way more enjoyment out of that ball than I would. If I took it home, it would wind up in a box somewhere. But he'd take it school, show it to his friends. I didn't need it."

Kirsten looked at Ryan. She wondered if there was ever anything he thought he needed.

* * *

That night, Ryan had a dream.

_Ryan and Seth were coming home from school. Seth said something that made Ryan laugh. Ryan opened the door to the Cohens' house. When he walked inside, he realized he was in his house in Chino and Seth had disappeared. He looked around and saw his mom pouring herself a drink and she was mad. "I can't do this anymore, Ryan. I want you out of my house."_

_"But Mom, where am I going to go?"_

_Suddenly, Dawn turned into Kirsten. "San Francisco," she said. "You'll like it there. It's far away."_

Ryan woke up with a start. His heart was racing and he was disoriented for a few seconds. Once he remembered where he was, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom to get a drink of water. That dream really freaked him out and he didn't want to go back to bed right away. If he were home, he'd pull out his sketchpad and do some drawing to think and relax. But he couldn't turn on a light – he'd wake up Kirsten. He could turn the light on in the bathroom but there really wasn't anywhere comfortable to sit and relax, except the bathtub. He couldn't, could he?

Ryan went back out the room, quietly got his sketchpad and a pillow, and went back to the bathroom. He put his pillow in the tub, climbed in and leaned back against it. It actually wasn't too bad. He felt a little silly, but it would work.

He started sketching and thinking. What was that dream? Why did the Cohen house turn into his mom's house and then why did Dawn turn into Kirsten? He knew he didn't want to go to San Francisco, but did he feel abandoned? Logically, CCA _was _the best choice. He wasn't comfortable with the amount of money it would cost compared to USC, but it obviously wasn't an issue to Kirsten, and he could eventually pay them back. But he had enjoyed the last two years, having people around who asked how his classes were going, who asked about his day. At USC, he'd have Seth around when he needed, could see Sandy and Kirsten whenever he wanted. He'd spent most of his life fending for himself; he wasn't quite ready to start again.

Ryan looked at his drawing. It was pretty much done, as was his thinking. He headed back to bed.

* * *

The next morning Kirsten woke up first. She had heard Ryan get up in the middle of the night and take his sketchpad to the bathroom. She wasn't sure what woke him up or kept him awake though and she thought she'd let him sleep in.

When Ryan woke up, he realized Kirsten was already up and dressed and reading the paper. He rubbed his face, trying to wake up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep in. I'll get ready." For some reason he felt apprehensive about Kirsten, but he didn't know why. It must be the residual effects of his dream, but he couldn't blame that on Kirsten.

Kirsten smiled at him. "Take your time. We're on vacation, remember?"

Ryan shook his head at her. "Right," he said. "I'll go get in the shower."

Ryan got undressed and stood under the hot water, wondering how he was going to tell Kirsten that he really didn't want to go to CCA, that he wanted to go to USC and stay near the Cohens. He could barely answer people when asked a direct question. Now he had to find some way to bring the subject up. Maybe Kirsten would start talking about CCA. And if she didn't? He'd worry about that later.

When Ryan got out of the shower he saw that Kirsten was looking at a tourist guide. "What do you want to do today, Ryan? I was thinking we could go over to Alcatraz. It's supposed to be a really interesting tour."

Ryan looked at Kirsten. "Um, yeah, touring a prison isn't really my idea of a good time."

Kirsten was a little disappointed. "Oh, OK," she said. Then she realized Ryan had actually spent time in jail and his dad was prison. Of course touring a prison wasn't interesting to him. "Oh! OK. Well, what do you want to do today?"

"I was thinking we could head back?" Kirsten started to protest but Ryan kept going. "I mean, we can drive back down the coast. You know, take our time, maybe take a couple of days. We can stop anywhere we think looks interesting and explore."

Kirsten smiled. "That sounds like a good idea."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Everything I know about California, I learned from Google. The last time I was even in the States was 18 years ago, and that was Maine. And I don't own a single blond hair on either of their heads.

* * *

They headed out with Kirsten behind the wheel. Kirsten thought Ryan was being a little quiet, a change from the night before when they were at the ballgame.

"Is everything OK?" she asked him. "You seem quiet."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ryan replied. "I just had a weird dream last night that I can't shake."

"A dream?" Kirsten asked. That explained why he was up in the middle of the night. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ryan looked at Kirsten. "Not really." He most definitely could not tell Kirsten about his dream. He needed to tell her how he felt about moving to San Francisco, but not in relation to his dream. It bothered him that his subconscious equated Kirsten to Dawn; he didn't think Kirsten would appreciate it either.

Well," Kirsten considered, "do we have any of Seth's cards left? Did you want to do those?"

Ryan smiled. "Sure. I'll see what's next." He pulled the next card from the envelope. "_Think happy thoughts. Tell about a happy childhood memory._"

Kirsten and Ryan both got thoughtful. "Who wants to go first?" Kirsten asked.

"I will," Ryan said. "I think I was about 4. Trey would have been 10. I was outside, playing with my Power Rangers. Trey came by with his friends and stole my red one, 'cause he knew it was my favourite. He took off and I went running after him. He ran just fast enough so that he was always ahead but he stayed close so I wouldn't give up. I wasn't watching where I was going; I tripped on the sidewalk and smashed my mouth and got a big lip."

Kirsten interrupted. "Ryan, I thought it was supposed to be a happy memory. Please tell me this isn't your happiest memory from your childhood."

Ryan smiled. "I'm not done yet. I went crying back to Mom. She got a glass of apple juice and put an ice cube in it. Then she held me on her lap and we sat on the porch in the sun while I drank my juice so the ice was against my lip. See, it ended happy." Ryan paused. "Well, it ended happy for me. Trey might not agree. He got in big trouble when he got home."

"That was a nice moment with your mom," Kirsten agreed, "but I would hope you had some happy memories…" Kirsten wasn't sure how to finish her thought without offending him.

"That didn't involve anyone getting hurt?" Ryan finished for her.

"Well, yeah," Kirsten agreed.

"OK. You do your happy memory and I'll try to think of a happy memory that doesn't involve pain."

"Thank you," Kirsten said. "Can I say my happiest childhood memories are the years before Hailey was born?"

"No," Ryan grinned at her, "I think you need to be a bit more specific than that."

"OK. I used to love coming home after school and finding my mom in the kitchen. I'd sit at the table and do my homework while she got supper ready and I'd tell her about my day."

Ryan raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" Kirsten asked.

"Your mom made supper?"

"My mom did a lot of things. We didn't have a maid or live in a mansion back then. My father was still building the business. We didn't always have money, you know."  
  
Ryan shook his head. "I can't imagine Caleb not rich."

Kirsten smirked. "Neither can he anymore. I think that's why it took him so long to warm up to you. You reminded him of where he came from. But now I think you remind him of how he got where he did. He's really impressed with how well you're doing at The Newport Group."

"Kirsten, I get coffee. It's not that hard."

"No, you do more that that and you know it. Even Mike likes to work with you and Mike hates interns on principle." Kirsten saw Ryan's ears starting to turn red so she stopped embarrassing him. "But how'd we get there? You still owe me a happy memory with no pain."

Ryan was quiet. Kirsten started to worry that he might not have any memories, happy or otherwise, that didn't involve some sort of pain. Finally Ryan spoke.

"OK, Fourth of July when I was 6. Trey and I spent the afternoon in the backyard with our dad setting off firecrackers. Mom was making a picnic in the kitchen. Then we all went to the park for our picnic. Dad and Trey were playing catch. I had my first glove and Dad was trying to teach me to catch too.

"When it got dark, we all sat on the blanket to watch the fireworks. I got sleepy leaning on Mom, and Dad ended up carrying me back to the car when it was over."

Kirsten smiled. "See, that is a happy memory. And no one got hurt."

Ryan nodded. He didn't add that when they got home his parents started drinking. Or that Trey went into the backyard to set off more firecrackers and his dad got mad and hit Trey and broke his nose. He couldn't tell Kirsten that he couldn't think of a happy memory that didn't involve pain.

"Let's check another card." Ryan pulled out the next one. "_What's a road trip without a rousing rendition of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall?_ Oh, he isn't serious, is he?"

"Come on, Ryan," Kirsten said. "We've done everything else so far. Don't wimp out on me now."

"I'm not a wimp. It's just…singing? Really?"

"You have a nice voice. I heard you singing with The Eagles the other day."

"I was not!"

Kirsten laughed. "You were, too! Come on, Ryan. Do you know the song?"

"Of course I know the song. Every kid sings it on a school bus at some point in his life." He looked at Kirsten, who looked back at him expectantly. "All right, I'll sing with you. But if you tell anyone…"

Kirsten laughed again. "You'll what?"

Ryan realized he couldn't threaten Kirsten. "I don't know," he said petulantly. "But we're not telling Seth that we did this card."

"OK. Your secret is safe with me, as long as you sing. But if you don't sing with me, I'll tell Seth how you sang at the top of your lungs."

"Fine!" Ryan relented. "I'll sing, I'll sing."

So Kirsten and Ryan started singing. "99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. You take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall."

Ryan sang quietly and half-heartedly for the first 10 verses, but then he got into it. They got confused at one point and sang the forties twice (Kirsten stopped the second time they did 45 and asked, "Didn't we already sing this?" Ryan just shrugged and said, "What difference does it make?" and they kept going).

When they finished the last verse and there were no more bottles of beer on the wall, Ryan slyly looked at Kirsten and quietly sang, "No more bottles of beer on the wall, no more bottles of beer, go the store and buy some more…99 bottles of beer on the wall!"

"Now you're not serious, are you?" Kirsten asked.

"What else do we have to do?" Ryan answered. And so they sang it again.

Two times through that song was more than enough, so when they finished singing, Ryan pulled another card out of the envelope. "_How about some real music instead of the caterwauling you two just did. Pop a CD in, relax, and listen to some tunes._"

Ryan pulled the CD holder out and started flipping through the CDs. After Kirsten made him listen to that Harry Chapin CD, he was putting no consideration into what she might like to hear. He almost put Eminem in, but then thought again. It wasn't that he was concerned that Kirsten wouldn't like it; he was more concerned with having to listen to the lyrics in front of her. He finally settled on Journey. There was a possibility that Kirsten liked them too, but they were his favourite band to listen to when he needed to relax.

Ryan popped the CD in and then leaned back and closed his eyes. Kirsten glanced over at him and realized he was still tired from being up in the middle of the night. Kirsten tried to figure out what music Ryan had put on. She recognized it as music she listened to when she was younger but it wasn't one of her CDs. She tried to remember what CDs she had seen while she was flipping through them. Journey, she realized. Not a bad choice. At least this time he picked something of his.

Ryan had drifted off listening to the music. He started to stir as the CD ended and the car started to slow down. He sat up and tried to get his bearings. "Where are we?" he asked.

"Carmel-by-the-Sea," Kirsten replied. "I thought we could stop here and get some lunch."

"Sure. Where should we eat?" Ryan pulled out the California tourist guide that Kirsten had picked up at the hotel that morning, and flipped to the Carmel-by-the-Sea section. "How does Caribbean sound? I think the restaurant is just up ahead…" Ryan checked the address and looked at the street they were on. "Yeah, there it is. Bahama Billy's Island Steakhouse."

"Caribbean sounds good to me." Kirsten found a parking spot and they went in to the restaurant. Once they were seated, Kirsten started leafing through the tourist guide. "You know," she said, "when I was looking through this earlier, I thought Point Lobos State Reserve looked interesting. We could take a short trail. What do you think?"

"That sounds nice," Ryan replied. "But do you have the right shoes for walking through the woods?" Ryan was wearing his boots, but Kirsten had some sort of heel on, not exactly proper hiking footwear.

"I always travel with more than enough appropriate footwear," Kirsten proclaimed.

* * *

They drove the ten minutes from Carmel to Point Lobos. When they got close, Ryan noted, "We may get in for half price." 

"Why would you say that?" Kirsten asked.

Ryan pointed to a sign. "It says it's only $4 if there's a senior citizen in the car." He grinned slyly at Kirsten.

"Hey," Kirsten protested, "I'm not that old. And I certainly don't mind paying the full $8 to get in." She frowned at him playfully. "So cut that out!"

They drove up to the Seal Point Parking Lot. As soon as they got out, Ryan pointed out to Kirsten, "Look."

There was a squirrel eating a pinecone about 15 feet away. He was intent on his meal and was ignoring Ryan and Kirsten. They were fascinated with the way he kept turning the pinecone. "His paws look like hands," Kirsten said. All of a sudden, the squirrel dropped the pinecone and scampered up a tree.

Kirsten and Ryan started down the trail. Suddenly they saw something dart into the woods in front of them. It looked like a bird, but it was bigger than the squirrel they had seen in the parking lot. "What was that?" Ryan asked.

Kirsten pulled out the brochure they had been given when they entered the park. "I think it was a quail," she said after looking through the paper.

"Wow, I've never seen a quail before," Ryan said.

"Me either," said Kirsten. "Well, I've never seen one alive before. Though they are quite tasty."

Ryan looked at Kirsten incredulously. "I can't believe you just said that."

"Why?"

"A beautiful bird walks by and you want to eat it."

"Well, you've seen cows before and you still eat hamburgers and steaks."

"I'm not saying you can't still eat quail; it just doesn't seem right to _talk_ about eating quail in the middle of its home."

Kirsten laughed. "All right. No more talk of eating the wildlife."

"That's all I ask," Ryan replied.

They walked along in companionable silence, enjoying the solitude of nature, until they reached the first lookout at Headland Cove. Ryan looked out at the kelp beds and saw some otters playing together. Then they walked down the natural staircase in the rocks to the lower trail. They heard the sea lions before they could see them out on the rocks. They were barking very loudly and making lots of noise. They were amazing to watch. The sea lion would make its way clumsily across a rock, slip into the water, and then swim gracefully away.

Ryan leaned closer to Kirsten and said, "If you're lucky, maybe one will come closer and start a conga line, since you didn't get to do one with Lou Seal last night."

After watching the sea lions for a while, they headed back up the trail to continue the trip home.

TBC7


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Again, what I know of California I learned from Google. I only wish I were Josh Schwartz.

* * *

They got back in the car with Ryan driving for the afternoon. "That was a nice walk in there," he commented.

"I can't believe all the wildlife we got to see," Kirsten said.

"Did it make you hungry?" Ryan laughed.

"No!" Kirsten responded indignantly. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm not going to live that down, am I?"

"No, probably not," Ryan admitted. "And you probably don't want to order quail in front of me either."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kirsten wanted to change the subject. "Shall we pull another Seth card?"

"Sure. At this point, I've become game for anything," Ryan replied.

Kirsten read from the next card. "_Just a bunch of random questions for you to answer._" Kirsten looked up from the card. "He's not kidding. There's a whole list of questions here. Here's the first one: _What's the type of music you dislike the most?_"

"Harry Chapin," Ryan quickly replied.

"Hey, you said it wasn't that bad. Come on, there must be music you don't like more than him."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "All right, let me think. Um, I'll say opera then. I really can't stand opera music. The high women's voices, the foreign language. Is that an acceptable answer?"

"Whatever you say is an acceptable answer," Kirsten said. "It's your opinion."

Ryan couldn't believe it. "But you wouldn't let me say Harry Chapin!"

"That's because I know you don't really dislike him; you're just saying him because you know I like him. Because really, who can't love Harry Chapin?" Ryan opened his mouth to respond but Kirsten quickly added, "Don't answer that."

Ryan gave up. "OK, then what's your least favourite type of music?"

"I'd have to say rap," Kirsten responded. " I just don't understand the appeal. And the things they sing about…"

After hearing Kirsten say that, Ryan was happy he decided against playing Eminem earlier. Though she did make him sit through a whole CD of Harry Chapin. But no, he'd refrain from playing Eminem if he decided to put more music on.

"What's the next question?" Ryan asked.

"_Have you ever gotten a parking ticket?_" Kirsten read. "Gosh, I get them all the time. I have a bad tendency of parking in a no parking zone while running in to get the take-out from restaurants. Every time I get one, I tell myself I won't do it again, but then I think of my poor starving boys at home…"  
  
"Hey, don't blame it on us!"

"Well, I can't blame it on me. How about you? Did you ever get a parking ticket? Is Seth trying to rat you out?"

"No, I've never had a parking ticket," Ryan replied. "Though I did get arrested for stealing a car once." Ryan grinned but Kirsten didn't think it was funny.

"If you never have to deal with the police again, it'll be too soon for me."

"But it turned out all right in the end," Ryan said as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

Kirsten relented. "Yes, but generally speaking, it's not the best way to improve your lot in life."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You'd better." Kirsten looked down at the card. "Next question. _Do you think you're a good cook?_ Oh, Seth should know better than to ask this!"

Ryan was trying not to laugh at Kirsten. "Well, I can't make a lot of things, but what I can make, I think I'm good at. Generally when I cook, the food is edible."

"Are you implying that it's not edible when I cook?" Kirsten asked.

"I never said a word."

"Well, I could cook if my family didn't always distract me while I was trying. Or make fun of me for trying. Besides, I'm a busy career woman – I don't have time for cooking."

"It's all right that you can't cook, Kirsten. Not everyone can do everything."  
  
"Then how come everyone always teases me about it?"

"Because you insist on trying." He glanced over at her. "If you could accept that you can't cook, the fun would go out of the teasing."

"But mothers are supposed to be able to cook."

"Mothers are supposed to be able to do a lot of things that they can't always do," Ryan said without looking at her. "If not being able to cook is your worst offence? Well, I'm not complaining."

Kirsten appreciated what Ryan was trying to say. "Thanks, Ryan."

Ryan just shrugged. "What's the next question?"

"_What's the furthest place you've traveled?_ Hmm, I guess it was when I went to Europe for spring break in high school. Taryn and I went to Paris and Rome and Barcelona. That was a fun trip. How about you? What's the farthest you've traveled?"

Ryan looked embarrassed. "Well, Las Vegas is in a different state, but it's only about 4 hours away; San Francisco is still in California, but it's over 6 hours away, so I guess this trip is the furthest I've ever traveled."

"Really, Ryan? If I had known how little you'd traveled…"  
  
Ryan grinned. "You'd what? Plan a whole lot of stupid touristy things to do? Yeah, I don't think it would have changed the trip a whole lot."

Kirsten laughed too. "No, I guess you're right. But we should send you and Seth on a trip for Spring Break this year. Anywhere you want to go. Oh, that's if you have Spring Break the same week. We'll have to look into that."  
  
"I think we'll probably have the same Spring Break," Ryan told her. Since he was planning to be at USC with Seth, he was pretty sure they'd have the same Spring Break. He had been enjoying the day so much he forgot that he hadn't told Kirsten about CCA. Now just wasn't a good time to bring it up. He was enjoying his time with Kirsten. Telling her he didn't want to go to CCA would change the mood.

"Well, if not, next summer then. And don't let Seth talk you into somewhere you don't want to go," Kirsten admonished.  
  
"We don't have to plan it this minute, do we?"

"No, you're right. We don't. But promise me you'll think about it, OK?"

"OK," Ryan agreed.

"All right, next question. _What's the best thing in the world?_ Oh, that'd have to be soaking in the hot tub with my husband, listening to Solomon Burke."

"OK, that was too much information. If Seth were here right now, he'd be covering his ears and saying 'I can't hear you' over and over again."

"But isn't it nice to know your parents are in love?" Kirsten asked.

"To know it, yes," Ryan explained. "To know the details, not so much."

"Point taken. Well, what's the best thing in the world for you?"

Ryan thought for a minute. He glanced at Kirsten before turning his eyes back to the road. "I'd have to say the best thing in the world is to have a home that you aren't afraid to come home to."

Kirsten smiled. "I'm glad you don't have to be afraid anymore." She paused and tried to lighten the mood. "But that still doesn't make stealing cars a good thing."

Ryan just nodded. He knew stealing was wrong, but no one would ever be able to convince him that going with Trey that night wasn't the best decision of his life. "What's the next question?"

"_Chips or popcorn?_"

"Chips," said Ryan.

"Yeah, I'd have to agree," said Kirsten.

"_Orange or apple juice?_"

"Apple juice," said Ryan.

"Really?" asked Kirsten. "We never have apple juice in the house. Why haven't you ever said anything?"

Now Ryan got embarrassed. "I like orange juice too. It's not that big of a deal. We just always had apple juice growing up. It's what I was used to."

"It's not that big of a deal to buy apple juice when we're at the store either. I wish you had said something sooner."

"Kirsten, it's just juice. Don't worry about it."

But to Kirsten it was more than juice. To Kirsten, it was the fact that Ryan had lived with her for two years and she didn't know he preferred apple juice to orange juice. And she was sure there were more things that Ryan preferred that he had never told them. She realized she should have taken a road trip with Ryan when he first moved in so she could have found out about him. But she also realized that it probably took the two years of living with them for Ryan to tell her the things he was telling her on this trip.

Kirsten noticed a road sign. "Oh look, Cambria's coming up soon. It's got some great galleries that I'd love to stop and see. Are you up for it?"

"Sure, sounds good." Ryan really didn't care about seeing some galleries, but it would be a good chance to stretch their legs again and take a break from driving.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Ryan pulled in to park across from the galleries. He noticed some stairs leading down to a beach. "Do you mind if I don't go with you to the galleries?" he asked Kirsten.

Kirsten looked at Ryan and at the beach. "Not at all," she said. "Why don't we meet back here in about an hour and then we can decide what we're doing from there?"

Ryan looked at his watch. "An hour sounds good. I'll see you then." He watched Kirsten cross the street. Then he opened up the car and got his sketchpad out and went down to the beach.

* * *

An hour later, Ryan returned to the car and Kirsten was there first. She noticed his sketchpad and told him, "Some day you're going to leave that sitting out somewhere and I'm not going to be able to resist taking a peek."

Ryan ducked his head and nodded. He knew Kirsten wanted to see his work but he didn't feel comfortable showing other people, especially when he was there.

"Should we stop for supper here?" Kirsten asked. "Or," she added with a glint in her eye, "Pismo Beach is only about an hour away, and I hear it's known as the Clam Capital of the World."

Ryan grinned and shook his head at her. "We wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to eat clams in the Clam Capital of the World, right?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Kirsten said.

Once they were in the car and on the road, Ryan asked Kirsten how the galleries were.

"They were interesting. There was one that was all local artists. It was exactly how I always pictured mine would be."  
  
"Yours? You were going to open a gallery?" Ryan asked.

"I was majoring in art history when I met Sandy. When we lived in Berkeley, my dream was to open a gallery in The Mission. But Sandy wasn't making much with the PD's office, and Seth was still little so I couldn't work because I was looking after him."

"Your dad wouldn't help you out?"

"No, he wasn't happy that we were 'living like Bohemians', as he put it. He would never deny Seth anything, but he said he wasn't going to do anything to enable us to live like that, which is what financing the gallery would do. I didn't even ask him for the money; I just wanted him to co-sign a loan. But he said no. And then my mom got sick and we moved back to Newport and I forgot about the gallery."

"How did you go from being an art history major to running the Residential Division of The Newport Group?"

Kirsten laughed. "Good question. When we moved back and I started working with The Newport Group, I took some business courses at night so I'd know what I was doing."

"That's impressive, Kirsten."

"Thanks, Ryan. So what did you do while I was at the galleries?"

"I did some beachcombing. There were some really cool rocks on that beach. All crystally, like geodes."

"There's information on those in the travel guide." Kirsten grabbed the book and started flipping through it. "Yeah, here it is. It says you can find jade, jasper, agates, and moonstones on the beaches in Cambria."

"Well, I don't know what any of those look like so I could have found them and not known it. But some of them were quite intricate. I found them fascinating."

Ryan and Kirsten were quiet for a few minutes and then Kirsten suggested putting some music on until they got to Pismo Beach.

"As long as you don't pick Harry Chapin, I'm up for it," Ryan told her.

Kirsten looked through the CDs. She figured if Ryan was going to make fun of her love of Harry Chapin and folk music, she'd give him lots of ammunition. She found her Cat Stevens CD (she refused to think of him as Yusuf Islam – he would always be Cat Stevens to her).

After Ryan heard the first song he rolled his eyes. "Kirsten, you're killing me over here."

She smirked at him. "That's what you get for making fun of my music. Just be thankful my Carpenters' CD isn't in there, and that I decided to spare you from Peter, Paul, and Mary. Remember, things can always be worse."

Ryan nodded. "That's one thing I always remember."

Kirsten's face softened and she smiled at him. "Yes, but they can always get better too."

Ryan pursed his lips, nodded and gave Kirsten a half smile.

As they drove into Pismo Beach, they saw a roadside restaurant with a big sign out front reading "Best Fried Clams in Pismo Beach". Kirsten pointed it out and said, "Well, that's where we need to stop."

Ryan pulled into the parking lot. Kirsten went to the order window while Ryan went to find a picnic table for them. Kirsten ordered fried clam strips with fries for both of them. She got a beer for herself and an apple juice for Ryan. Both were poured into plastic glasses. As she carried the food to the table, Ryan raised his eyebrows at her. "Beer?" he asked.

Kirsten laughed. "Not for you. Yours is apple juice. I'm trying to make up for the last two years."

"But if the choice was beer or apple juice, I'd pick beer," Ryan countered.

"Yes, and in three years, that will be a viable option for you. But not today," Kirsten told him.

When they finished eating, Kirsten and Ryan decided to find a hotel for the night since they were about halfway home. Kirsten remembered a resort hotel she and Sandy had stayed at a few years ago. It was right on the beach, and each room had a fireplace and a hot tub on the balcony.

In Ryan's mind, it was way too much for a room they only needed for the night. He'd have picked a cheap motel if he was by himself or even with Seth, but he'd never suggest such a thing to Kirsten. He was surprised she ate fried food outside at a picnic table with beer tonight instead of at a restaurant with cloth tablecloths and wine. He figured that was as close to slumming as Kirsten Cohen would come. She could talk about the days when her parents didn't have lots of money, or even her Berkeley days with Sandy, but those days were long ago and she was used to finer things.

Ryan knew that he was used to finer things too. Not as fine as Kirsten because he hadn't been around money for as long, but he certainly would find it strange to go back to the life he had in Chino. He was used to fully stocked fridges. He didn't care what kind of juice was in the fridge; the fact that he could open the fridge and there would always be juice in it was enough. He was used to having cars that always worked when he needed to go somewhere, and if they weren't working, always being able to get them fixed right away. Even now, he was having a hard time remembering what it was like to try to fall asleep when he was all hot and sticky because the air conditioning wasn't working and his mother had the only working fan in her room.

When they walked into the hotel room, Ryan dropped into one of the green wicker chairs. Kirsten sat in the one opposite him and asked him what he wanted to do that night. They were both tired from driving so Kirsten pulled out a deck of cards that she had picked up earlier in Cambria. They sat at the table in the room and played gin rummy. Kirsten won the first round and gloated about it through the whole second round, which Ryan then proceeded to win soundly. The rubber round was close, and it came down to who would win the next hand. Ryan went out first and took full advantage of being able to gloat over Kirsten.

The next morning, Ryan decided to go for a morning swim at the beach before they started out. He asked Kirsten if she wanted to come with him.

"In the ocean?" she asked. "With the fish? No thanks. I'll wait here for you."

She watched as he carefully removed his things from his bag, looking for his swimming trunks. Then she watched as he carefully put everything back. Everything except his sketchpad, which he left lying beside his bag as he went to change.

Before he walked out the door, Kirsten told him, "You left your sketchpad out."

"I know," Ryan replied.

"But I told you yesterday that I didn't know if I could resist looking if it was left lying out," Kirsten reminded him.

Ryan swung his towel over his shoulder and opened the door. "I know," he said, and went to the beach.

Kirsten looked at the tablet, then walked over and picked it up, not sure if she wanted to open it. She was being silly. The pictures inside weren't going to unlock the mysteries of Ryan. It was significant that Ryan was letting her see them, but the pictures themselves weren't going to be significant. She should just open the book and stop dwelling on it.

She opened the book and found sketches of the pool house from every angle imaginable. She came across a picture of something that at first she didn't recognize. It was tall, thin and bent in shape, and looked to be textured with diamonds. Then Kirsten realized it was that ugly lamp in the corner of the pool house.

It had been a house-warming gift from her friend Taryn when she and Sandy had moved back to Newport Beach. Her mom had been sick and Kirsten had been busy, so she put it in the pool house and had forgotten it was there.

Most of Ryan's sketches were done in pencil but Kirsten came across one where he used pastels too. It was a sunset, but from inside the pool house, probably from the bed. The pool house was quite detailed in pencil, and everything outside the windows was done in pastels. Kirsten was impressed by the contrast between the black and white inside and the colours outside.

When Kirsten came to the Golden Gate Bridge, she knew she was near the end. She had only had a quick glimpse of it the first time she saw it and now she could take the time to appreciate it. He was really quite good.

She turned to page to a scene she didn't recognize. She thought back to when he had had the opportunity to draw on this trip and realized it must be from the night he woke up and took his sketchpad to the bathroom. But this wasn't the bathroom in the hotel. This was the inside of a house Kirsten had never seen before. The strange thing about it was that there was no furniture in the house.

Kirsten turned the page and saw the rocks from the beach Ryan had drawn earlier that day. When she heard Ryan coming back into the room she quickly closed the book and put it back where it was. She knew he knew she was looking at it, but she thought she'd keep up the pretense that she wasn't, for his sake.

"I'm just going to grab a shower and then we can get on the road again," Ryan said as he came into the room.

"Take your time. There's no rush," Kirsten told him as he disappeared into the bathroom.

While she was waiting for him, she thought about the drawing of the empty house. What could he have dreamt about that made him draw his house in Chino after his mom left?

TBC9


	10. Chapter 10

 "So shall we head for home today?" Ryan asked as they got into the car in front of the resort.

"Sure," Kirsten answered hesitantly.

Ryan looked at her.  "What did you find in the tourist guide that looked interesting?"

"Lompoc is about an hour and a half away and it's the 'Flower Seed Capital of the World'.  Apparently, there are these large fields of flowers," Kirsten said enthusiastically.

Ryan looked wary.

"Actually, we don't have to get out of the car.  There's a marked route around this farm that you follow with the car."  
  
Ryan knew Kirsten liked gardening and horticulture, and if he didn't have to do anything, then he could see no reason to deny her.  "Sounds OK to me."

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.  Ryan expected Kirsten to comment on his drawings and was surprised when she didn't.  He also knew he had to tell her about not going to San Francisco sometime today.  Kirsten wanted to comment on Ryan's drawings, but didn't know what to say about the empty house.

Finally, Kirsten said, "You know, I think there are still some of Seth's random questions left from yesterday.  Did you want to…"

"Yeah," Ryan agreed.  "Good idea."

Kirsten found the card from the day before and read the next question.  "_Have you ever won a trophy?_  You know," she said, "I never have.  I'm really not a competitive type of person."

Ryan shot her a look.  "You're not competitive?  Who was gloating when she won the first game of rummy last night, and pouted when she lost the last two?"

"OK," Kirsten relented, "maybe I'm a little competitive.  But I've never competed in events where trophies were involved.  And I didn't see any trophies being handed out last night."

"That's sad that you've never won a trophy."

"You have then, I take it?"

Ryan ducked his head a little.  "Yeah, a couple."

"A couple?  For what?"

"Soccer," Ryan answered.  "My first year playing soccer I got a Best Rookie trophy, and then a couple of years later I got an MVP trophy."

"Really?" Kirsten asked.  "I've never seen them.  Where do you keep them hidden?"

"I don't know.  They were in my mom's house when I left.  They're probably in the garbage now."

Kirsten could kick herself for being so stupid.  Even faced with the picture of the empty house that morning, she still forgot that Ryan didn't have all his life with him in Newport.

"I doubt she threw them out.  Wouldn't she want to keep them because they were a part of you?"

Ryan looked at Kirsten like she was crazy.  "My mom isn't really the sentimental type.  If they couldn't be sold for money, I'm sure she turfed them."  Ryan was done talking about trophies.  "So what's the next question?"

Kirsten read the card.  "_What's the last song that was stuck in your head?_"

"I plead the fifth on that one," Ryan quickly said.

"No way.  Come on.  What song was it?" Kirsten asked.

Ryan reluctantly said, "I was swimming this morning and, totally against my will, I got a song stuck in my head.  You know, you only get songs stuck in your head that are annoying – it's never a song you like."

"'Fess up, Ryan.  What song was it?"

"That stupid banana song," he muttered.

"Harry Chapin?" Kirsten exclaimed.  "You had a Harry Chapin song stuck in your head?"  She smiled.  "I knew you liked him."

"I don't like him.  It was a stupid song stuck in my head.  I didn't even know the words; I just had the phrase '30,000 pounds of bananas' continuously in my head.  Not an enjoyable experience.  What about you?  What was the last song stuck in your head?"

Now it was Kirsten's turn to be embarrassed.  "OK, don't laugh."

"Right," Ryan laughed at her.  "Like you were so kind when I told you my song."

"Taryn listens to this song all the time and it gets stuck in my subconscious."  
  
"Stop making excuses and tell me the song," Ryan said.

"Fine.  'Achy-Breaky Heart' by Billy Ray Cyrus."

Ryan started laughing and Kirsten got defensive.  "It's not that bad of a song.  Besides, Taryn has a thing for guys in mullets."

"That, I didn't need to know.  Can we move on?  Please?"

"_Have you ever worn a uniform to work?_" Kirsten read.

"Well sure," Ryan replied.  "My Crab Shack T-shirt would be a uniform, right?"

"Sure it would.  And as uniforms go, that wasn't a bad one."

"I can't imagine you've ever worked anywhere that required a uniform."

"You forget, Ryan, that I had a few years where Dad wasn't supporting me.  I worked as a waitress for a very short while – I guess you could say I was never good with food."  Kirsten looked embarrassed.  "The uniform was a red polyester dress with a white pinafore over top.  It was most uncomfortable and extremely ugly.  But since I was determined not to ask my father for help, I tried to stick it out.  Eventually I got a job at a bookstore once I realized - well, Sandy convinced me - that I wasn't cut out for waitressing."  Kirsten smiled.  "The restaurant manager was pretty happy to see me go."

"Oh look!"  Kirsten pointed out the window.  "Lompoc's right ahead.  And there's the sign 'Lompoc Rainbow Farms'.  That's what we're looking for.  If we follow that, we'll find the flowers."

Ryan wasn't much into flowers, but even he had to admit that the Rainbow Farms were impressive.  Hundreds of acres of fields of flowers.  When they came to a field full of poppies, Ryan commented, "Just like 'The Wizard of Oz'."

"Do you like 'The Wizard of Oz'?" Kirsten asked.

"I watched it once when I was little with Mom and Trey.  It's all kind of fuzzy.  I remember being scared of the witch and her monkeys.  And I remember them seeing the Emerald City and running through a big field of poppies."

"It's too bad we can't get out and run through this field of poppies," Kirsten said.

"No, it's not," Ryan replied.  "You've convinced me to do a lot of things this trip, but that is one, I assure you, that I would not do, even if we could."

"Well, I guess we'll never know," Kirsten said.

"Yes, we do know," Ryan insisted. 

Kirsten smiled at him like she knew better, and Ryan just shook his head and rolled his eyes. 

"Oh, look, marigolds!" Kirsten pointed out.

Once they were headed towards Newport again, Ryan realized he had to tell Kirsten sometime soon that he didn't want to go to San Francisco.  He looked at his watch.  After lunch would be a good time, he decided.  "Any more questions on Seth's cards?" he asked.

"_Have you ever broken a bone?_" Kirsten read.

"I broke a couple," Ryan said.

"A couple?" Kirsten asked. "Really?"

"Well, my nose, obviously," Ryan said as he pointed at it.  "Though technically, it's made of cartilage so maybe that doesn't count," Ryan joked.  "And I broke my left arm what I was six and again when I was 10."

"Twice?" Kirsten asked.  "Really?"

Ryan shrugged one shoulder and stared ahead at the road.  "I was accident prone as a kid."

"Oh," Kirsten said, realizing what Ryan was saying.  She reached over and touched his shoulder.  "I'm glad you've outgrown it."

He gave her a half-smile.  "Me too."  He took a deep breath.  "How about you?  Have you ever broken anything?"

"Nope," Kirsten answered.  "Never.  I sprained my knee once, though."

"Yeah?" Ryan asked.

"I was sixteen, and turned wrong in dance class.  I didn't realize how much I had hurt it though.  Mom, Hailey, and I had a shopping weekend planned in LA and I didn't want to miss it.  I limped through the stores all day Saturday and Mom thought I was exaggerating.  That night in the hotel, she felt bad when she saw just how swollen my knee was."

"Sprained knees hurt.  You hobbled around on a sprained knee just to shop?" Ryan asked incredulously.

"I needed new shoes," Kirsten explained.  "And it was LA."

Ryan shook his head.  "I'll never understand girls and shopping and clothes," he said.

"_What's a word or phrase that makes you laugh or smile?_" Kirsten read.

"That's easy," Ryan said.  He looked at Kirsten pointedly.  "Quail."  He laughed at his own joke.

"Ha ha.  Very funny," Kirsten replied sarcastically. 

"Sorry.  I had to," Ryan replied.  "What's yours?"

"Something that makes me smile?  'My boys - Sandy, Seth and Ryan.'"

"That makes me smile too."  Ryan told her.  "It's nice to be included."

"I couldn't imagine not," Kirsten replied and Ryan smiled.

"_What was your favourite childhood toy or game?_"

"That would have to be my Power Rangers," Ryan said.  "I played with them all the time.  And Trey loved to steal them and hide them so I couldn't find them."  Ryan smiled.  "I don't know why.  If I was playing with them, I wasn't bothering him, but when I couldn't find them, I was always pestering him to play with me."

"Maybe he liked playing with you but didn't want to admit it.  I always complained about Hailey getting into my stuff, but I was secretly flattered that she wanted to be like me."

"Really?  I never thought of it that way.  I figured I was always just in the way, until I got old enough to hold my own with his friends."

"Well, I can't speak for Trey. It is tough to have to share your parents if you've had them to yourself for a number of years.  But it's nice to know there's someone who'll be around, even after your parents aren't."

Ryan was curious why Kirsten and Sandy only had one child if she felt this way, but he figured if she wanted him to know, she'd have told him.  And since Seth would have said something if he knew, Ryan figured it was something Kirsten had never told Seth.  And if Seth didn't know, Ryan didn't feel it was his place to ask.

"So what was your favorite toy?" he asked her instead.

"Actually, my favorite game was Candyland.  I would make my mother play that with me all the time. And when she couldn't play with me, I'd set up my stuffed animals and play with them.  I loved that game so much, I couldn't wait until Seth was big enough to buy it for him and play together.  But you know what?  It wasn't nearly as fun I remembered."

"That's kind of sad," Ryan said.

"The really sad part was that Seth didn't love it as much as I had.  You know, you really can't relive your childhood through your children."

"Fortunately," Ryan said, "my childhood is something I really don't want to relive, so I can't be disappointed."

Kirsten didn't know what to say to that.  Luckily, she saw a sign for Santa Barbara.  "Look," she said.  "Why don't we stop for lunch in Santa Barbara?  Gosh, I can't believe how close to home we are."

"Lunch sounds good," Ryan agreed.  Though he was running out of time to talk to Kirsten, he thought as he pulled into a restaurant parking lot.  He'd definitely have to bring the subject up after lunch.  He wondered what he could do to make lunch last longer.

TBC10


	11. Chapter 11

After lunch, Kirsten got behind the wheel.  She looked over at Ryan and smiled.  "We're on the home stretch now," she said to him.

Ryan gave her a half-hearted smile.  "Yeah," he replied.

Kirsten looked over at Ryan.  His head was leaned back on the seat and his eyes were closed.  He seemed tense, but Kirsten couldn't imagine why.  "Do you want to see if we have any of Seth's cards left?" she asked.

Ryan opened one eye and looked at Kirsten.  "Not right now," he said.  He was trying to figure out exactly how he could bring the whole CCA versus USC thing.

They drove in silence, Kirsten wondering what could be troubling Ryan all of a sudden, and Ryan deciding exactly what to say.

Ryan finally broke the silence.  "I don't want to go to San Francisco in the fall," he said with his eyes still closed, but then glanced over to get Kirsten's reaction.

Kirsten was surprised.  "Didn't you like CCA?  I thought it seemed like a fabulous school."

"Yeah, no," Ryan replied.  "CCA was…nice.  It's not the school.  It's just…"

"I realize you thought the dorm rooms were small," Kirsten interrupted, "but we'll get you an apartment."

"No, it's not that," Ryan said.  "It's San Francisco.  It's just…a long way away."

"Well, you won't have to drive it every time.  We'll fly you back and forth – we could probably get Dad's plane if we need it."

This sidetracked Ryan.  "You mean we could have taken Caleb's plane instead of driving?"

"I guess," Kirsten said.  "But I thought you wanted a road trip."

"No," Ryan replied evenly, "Seth wanted a road trip.  I wasn't planning on going in the first place," he took a breath to regroup, "because I don't want to go to school in San Francisco."

"Why not?" Kirsten asked.

Ryan tried to explain it.  "OK, it's like when Marissa was talking about why she chose NYU."

This surprised Kirsten.  "You're still talking with Marissa?" she asked.

"We end up in the same places when we hang out with Seth and Summer," Ryan shrugged.  "Anyway, Marissa said she's looking forward to getting far away from Newport, so she can be around people who know nothing about her.  She's looking forward to starting over."

"OK," Kirsten said hesitantly.  She wasn't sure what Ryan was trying to say.

"I've already started over," Ryan explained.  "I've already moved to a place where people only knew as much about me as I wanted them to know."  He lowered his voice.  "I'm not ready to do that again."

"But you'll have to meet new people at USC, won't you?" Kirsten asked.

"Yeah, but I'll have Seth to hang out with at USC.  I'm not good at making my own friends."

"What are you saying?  You've made friends in Newport."

"Who?  Seth?  Yeah, we're good friends, but we live in the same house.  It's not like I had to go out of my way – Seth just kind of latched on.  I'm not complaining – it just didn't take effort."

"You made friends with Marissa.  She wasn't friends with Seth before you came."

Ryan looked at Kirsten.  "And look how that turned out."

Ryan had never really talked to Kirsten about what had happened with Marissa, but she knew it hadn't ended well so she decided to change tacks.  "You had friends in Chino, didn't you?"

"Trey and his friends.  Eddie, Arturo…even Theresa was just Arturo's little sister."  He shrugged.  "It's not just the friends though.  It's…" he looked at Kirsten, "everything."

Kirsten thought she was catching on.  "You want to stay near us?"

Ryan was embarrassed to admit it out loud.  "Yeah?"

"Really?"  Kirsten hadn't been sure that's what he had been trying to say.  "I mean, I'd love you to stay close, but I want you to go where's best for you."

"You keep saying San Francisco is what's best for me, is where you want me to be.  Why is being all alone in a city where I don't know anyone what's best for me?"  Then, almost under his breath, he added, "My mom thought leaving me with you was what was best for me, too."

This made Kirsten pause.  "Don't you think it was?" Kirsten asked softly.

"Yeah," Ryan admitted, "but that didn't make it any easier."

"Sometimes you have to what's hard to make things better."

"That's just it.  I've already done the hard thing to improve my life.  Don't get me wrong, the payoff for that was huge – the difference between Chino and Newport.  I just don't see that the difference between USC and CCA is big enough to be worth it."  Ryan looked at Kirsten.

Kirsten though about what Ryan had just said.  "OK," she said.  "You're right."

"Really?  You'll let me go to USC?"

Kirsten smiled at him.  "Of course we will.  We want you to be happy, Ryan.  Did you think we wouldn't let you go where you wanted?"

Ryan shrugged.  "Every time I told you I didn't want to go to CCA, you insisted I should go."

Kirsten was surprised.  "When did you tell me you didn't want to go?"

"I said I didn't want to go to San Francisco in the first place.  I said I wanted to live with Seth.  I said I didn't like the dorms."

"Ryan, you've spent the last two years trying to be what you think we want you to be, trying not to be in the way.  I was trying to let you know that your decision should be based on what you want – not what won't inconvenience me or Sandy, not what would make Seth happy, not what doesn't cost too much money.  All of your reasons were based on other people.  If you had told me the real reason – that you wanted to stay close to us, to your family – I would have understood."

"It's not easy to say.  I'm not used to needing people."

"We need you too.  It will be nice to have you close."

Ryan pursed his lips and nodded.  They drove in silence for a while, until Kirsten suggested he find a CD to put on.  With the stress of talking to Kirsten gone, the sound of the music, and the motion of the car with the sun shining in, Ryan drifted off as they drove towards home.

TBC11


	12. Chapter 12

Ryan woke up as Kirsten slowed down to go through the gate in their neighbourhood. "Sorry," he said. "I wasn't very good company on the ride home."

"Don't worry about it," Kirsten said. "You'll need to be well-rested to deal with Seth."

"Speaking of Seth," Ryan said, "I don't want to tell him we did his cards." Kirsten looked at him questioningly. "He'll be unbearable – wanting to know what we said, and I don't want him to know I played his silly car games or sang songs." He looked at her beseechingly. "Please?"

Kirsten agreed. As they pulled into the driveway, they noticed Summer's car was there. When they went inside, they found Summer and Seth in the TV room.

"Thank God, you're back." Summer said as she jumped up to greet them. She even hugged Ryan, who held his arms straight out, not quite sure what to do with her.

Kirsten laughed. "I sympathize with you, Summer. Bed-ridden Seth can be…" She paused to think of the right word, "…trying."

"Mom! How can you say that about your own flesh and blood. Besides, I can't help it if I get bored easily," Seth whined.

"Yeah, Ryan, he's all yours," Summer said. "You can play videogames and read comics with him. I need to go to the mall. I think I'm having withdrawals."

Summer leaned over and kissed Seth. "I love you and I'll see you tomorrow. 'Kay?"

Ryan sat down in the chair next to Seth as Kirsten walked Summer out.

"So, how was the trip, man? Did you survive the trip with the Kirsten?"

"Yeah, it was fine," Ryan said.

"You've been gone for four days and all I get is a four word description?" Seth thought about it. "I guess that's fitting – one word for every day you were gone. Come on, give me something here. I've been stuck here with nothing to do. Oh! How did the cards work out?"

"We didn't use them," Ryan told him, as Kirsten came back into the room.

Seth put his hand to his chest. "Oh, you wound me. All that effort I put into making them…"

"Did you really think I'd play your silly games or sing? Come on."

"I guess. Did you at least play the CDs? Or did you two just sit in silence the whole time?"

"Oh, we listened to music." He glared at Seth. "And if I ever have to hear Harry Chapin again, it'll be too soon."

Seth laughed. "It's a rite of passage in the Cohen family, to be subjected to the Chapin while driving with the Kirsten."

Ryan shook his head. "I'm going to unpack my bag. Then I'll come back and we can play some Playstation."

"Sounds good. Playing Summer just isn't quite the same," Seth said. Then he turned to his mom. "You guys really didn't use my cards?"

Kirsten looked towards the doors that Ryan had walked out. "No, we didn't," she said. Then she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the cards," she whispered in his ear and then stood up and walked back to the kitchen.

"Wha…? Bu…?" Seth sputtered. Then to himself, "I knew it."

* * *

Sandy came home an hour later to find Ryan and Seth playing video games and Kirsten sitting at the table, reading the mail she'd missed when she was away. Caleb trailed in behind Sandy.

Sandy walked up behind Kirsten and kissed her on her cheek. "God, I missed you," he murmured in her ear.

"Sanford, you're not a teenager with raging hormones – save it for when you two are alone."

Sandy glared at Caleb. "He followed me home. Do we have to keep him?"

"I'm not staying," Caleb said. "It's just that half my office decided to run away to San Francisco for the week and I wanted to see how it turned out." He turned to Ryan. "So, when do you leave for San Francisco?"

Ryan sat his controller down. "Um…" He looked at Kirsten for help explaining.

"Dad, Ryan and I decided that USC seemed like a better fit." She figured Ryan would rather not discuss his real reason in front of everyone.

Caleb turned to Ryan. "You didn't let her talk you out of CCA so she could keep you close to home, did you?"

"Dad!" Kirsten said.

Ryan smiled. "Actually, sir, it was me who wanted to stay close to home."

Seth looked at him and said quietly, "Dude! That is so cool." He held up his fist and Ryan leaned forward to bump knuckles.

"So you two were out of the office for a week for nothing?" Caleb asked.

"It wasn't for nothing," Kirsten said. "We had fun, didn't we, Ryan?"

"Ryan Atwood had fun?" Seth asked. "I don't believe it."

Ryan mockingly laughed at him, "Ha ha ha." He turned to Kirsten. "It was fun."

Kirsten addressed the men in her family. "Well, since everyone's here, should we decide on where to order from tonight?"

"How about Aubergine?" Ryan suggested.

"French food, Ryan?" Seth asked. "Why would you suggest French food? Do you have a craving for escargots?"

"I always knew the boy had taste," Caleb said.

"I don't know," Ryan said. He grinned slyly at Kirsten. "I just thought Kirsten might enjoy it tonight."

Kirsten pointed her finger at Ryan, who was grinning broadly. "Don't even start," she said.

Seth was looking between Kirsten and Ryan. "What's going on? What are you two talking about?"

Ryan tried to get a straight face again. "You mean you don't want quail for supper?" he asked innocently.

Sand sat next to Seth and placed a hand on Seth's shoulder. "I think," he said, pointing at Kirsten and Ryan, "that they have a private joke."

"No, I don't want quail for supper," Kirsten told the room. "Ryan just thinks he's funny now." She smiled at him sarcastically.

"What do you mean they have a private joke? There are no private jokes in this house. I'm supposed to be in on all jokes around here. I knew they shouldn't have been allowed to go on a trip together. I knew no good could come from it," Seth said.

"I am funny now," Ryan said, almost to himself.

"Does this mean we're _not_ ordering French tonight?" Caleb asked.

Sandy looked at him. "I thought you weren't staying."

"I thought you were ordering French," Caleb said.

"We're not ordering French!" Kirsten stated emphatically.

"Ever?" Seth asked.

Kirsten looked at Ryan smirking. "Probably not," she said resignedly.

Ryan started to feel bad then, but Seth was elated. "Thank God! Can we order Italian tonight?"

"Italian sounds good," Caleb said.

"I thought you were leaving," Sand said, exasperated.

"Julie's away, and I was hoping someone in this family would be polite enough to invite me to stay."

"Of course you're welcome to stay, Dad," Kirsten told him.

"Speak for yourself," Sandy muttered.

Once the food arrived, everyone sat down to eat. Ryan watched Seth move painstakingly slowly on his crutches. "Have you not gotten better at those yet?" he asked.

"I've just gotten to the point that I'm not in excruciating pain when I move my leg – I haven't really had a chance to practice yet. I've been on the couch all week."

"Oh, don't let me forget," Sandy said to Kirsten. "I need to give Rosa a bonus at the end of the week."

"Thanks a lot, Dad," Seth said.

"Maybe I should stay home tomorrow," Kirsten said.

"You've been out all week!" Caleb countered.

"One more day won't make a big difference," Kirsten said.

"I can stay home," Ryan said. He looked at Caleb. "I won't be missed as much as Kirsten."

"Mike might not agree with that, but I think that makes sense," Caleb said.

"Mike!" Ryan said. "I forgot all about the report. Did he get it done?"

"Yes, he did, and the client was very pleased with how it turned out. Mike said your analysis was very thorough and exactly what he needed."

Ryan was embarrassed at the praise. "Thanks," he said.

"I know no one asked me," Seth piped up, "but as the invalid I think I should get some input as to who stays home with me." Everyone looked at him to hear what he wanted. "Well, obviously I choose Ryan. No offense, Mom, but if I want a videogame partner, Ryan is the only choice."

Ryan snuck a glance at Kirsten, but she was avoiding eye contact with him at the moment.

"OK, that's settled," Sandy said. "Now tell us all about your trip."

Ryan let Kirsten tell the story for the most part, only interjecting when she forgot to mention something, just enjoying having a meal with his family.

THE END


	13. Epilogue

A/N: I want to thank everyone for the amazing reviews you've given me. It was overwhelming at times. I sometimes find it hard to believe that so many people enjoyed what I was doing. Thank you.

And romie, I would love to have a sing-a-long with you – it's one of my favourite activities. You'll need to find something else to use as a threat! (I am a little hungry right now though, so if you want to lob some Timbits my way, feel free)

* * *

EPILOGUE

Two months later

Seth and Ryan were home for a weekend visit from USC. As they sat down for supper, Seth said, "Hey, Mom, did Ryan tell you about the girl he met?"

"You met a girl, Ryan?" Kirsten was intrigued.

Ryan was just glaring at Seth, so Seth continued the story. "Yeah, we were at a party…" Seth glanced at his parents. "Did I say party? I meant study group."

Sandy laughed. "Ryan's in architecture and you're in Arts. How could you be in the same study group?"

Seth always had an answer. "All freshmen take English, Pops. So this…study group…takes a break and Ryan starts chatting with this girl. And Mom, you'll never guess what Ryan used to woo her."

"Woo?" Ryan asked. "Who says woo? There was no wooing. We were having an adult conversation, is all."

"And tell Mom what you were talking about. Or should I say _who_ you were talking about. Acting the expert…"

"I wasn't 'acting the expert'." Ryan was getting a bit embarrassed and was ready to kill Seth for even bringing this up. "We were talking about music. I was just trying to contribute to the conversation."

"Yes, yes," Seth agreed. "And who did she say she loved to listen to and you said, I swear, you said, and I quote, 'Yeah, he's pretty cool.' Huh, Ryan?"

"Seth!" Ryan's voice got loud and then he realized what he said. "Sorry," he said to Sandy and Kirsten, who he realized were looking at him expectantly, waiting to find out what he had been talking about. "Fine," he sighed. "WeweretalkingaboutHarryChapin," he muttered quickly.

Kirsten squealed. "You met a girl who likes Harry Chapin?"

"Not only does she like Harry Chapin," Seth felt compelled to add," they made plans to get together to listen to her CDs, since it's been so long since Ryan heard _Cat's in the Cradle_. You know. His favourite song."

Ryan's ears were burning red. "Remind me again why I wanted to stay close to you," he muttered towards Seth, and he refused to look up from his plate for the rest of the meal. Luckily for him, Seth never stayed on one subject for very long and was soon off on another topic.

Later that night, Ryan came into the kitchen from the pool house to get something to eat. He noticed a soft blue glow coming from the TV room.

"Hey," he said as he sat on the couch next to Kirsten. "Can I play too?" he asked as he picked up the second controller.

"Sure," said Kirsten, "though I've never played against anyone before. I always just play against the computer." She glanced at Ryan. "And I usually win."

Ryan grinned at Kirsten. "Well, prepare to lose tonight then."

As the game got underway, Kirsten glanced at Ryan. "So," she ventured. "Harry Chapin, huh?"

Ryan sighed resignedly. "What can I say? I'm helpless before blonde women who insist he's fabulous."

"Hey!" Kirsten yelled as she was distracted by the game on the screen, but it was too late. Ryan had defeated her.

They sat there for a few minutes. Ryan gloating, Kirsten pouting. Then Ryan got up to go back to bed.

"I'm glad you're home for the weekend," Kirsten told him.

I'm glad I can come home for the weekend," Ryan replied.

"Good night, Ryan."

"Good night, Kirsten."

Ryan headed out to his pool house and went to sleep.


End file.
